Nalassus laevioctostriatus

Nalassus laevioctostriatus
Nalassus laevioctostriatus from Wales, photographed in 2010
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Suborder: Polyphaga
Infraorder: Cucujiformia
Family: Tenebrionidae
Genus: Nalassus
Species:
N. laevioctostriatus
Binomial name
Nalassus laevioctostriatus
(Goeze, 1777)

Nalassus laevioctostriatus is a species of beetle from the Darkling beetle family (Tenebrionidae).[1]

The species was described by Johann August Ephraim Goeze in 1777. It is a saproxylic species, with both adults and larvae feeding in dead wood. They also feed on wood affected by fungi and fungi itself. Adults occassionaly feed on pollen and nectar.[1][2] Nalassus laevioctostriatus measures between 7 and 12 mm.[1]

In the United Kingdom it is called the common darkling beetle.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Brock, P.D. (2021). Britain's Insects: A Field Guide to the Insects of Great Britain and Ireland. Britain's wildlife. Princeton University Press. p. 252. ISBN 978-0-691-17927-8. Retrieved 28 December 2025.
  2. ^ "Nalassus laevioctostriatus (Goeze, 1777)". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Archived from the original on 24 January 2025.