The tar darkling beetles (''Somaticus'') are an

Afrotropical The Afrotropical realm is one of the Earth's eight biogeographic realms. It includes Sub-Saharan Africa, the southern Arabian Peninsula, the island of Madagascar, and the islands of the western Indian Ocean. It was formerly known as the Ethiopi ...

genus of

darkling beetle Darkling beetle is the common name for members of the beetle family Tenebrionidae, comprising over 20,000 species in a cosmopolitan distribution. Taxonomy ''Tenebrio'' is the Latin generic name that Carl Linnaeus assigned to some flour beetles ...

s (Tenebrionidae). Adults are

omnivorous An omnivore () is an animal that regularly consumes significant quantities of both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and animal matter, omnivores digest carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber, and metabolize ...

scavengers, and the

larvae A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect developmental biology, development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typical ...

, known as false wireworms, feed on plant roots. The larvae of several species are known to damage

maize Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago from wild teosinte. Native American ...

crops. The adults are matte black with longitudinal ridges on the pronotum and elytra, and may be covered in hairs of different colours. Species include: *'' Somaticus aeneus'' Solier, 1843 *'' Somaticus angulatus'' (Fahraeus) *'' Somaticus cinctus'' Haag-Rutenberg, 1873 *'' Somaticus damarinus'' (Peringuey, 1904) *'' Somaticus distinctus'' Peringuey, 1892 *'' Somaticus geniculatus'' *'' Somaticus haagi'' Peringuey, 1886 *'' Somaticus metropolis'' *'' Somaticus spinosus'' Solier, 1843 *'' Somaticus terricola'' *'' Somaticus vestitus'' *'' Somaticus wahlbergi'' Haag-Rutenberg, 1873

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15137408 Pimeliinae Tenebrionidae genera Beetles of Africa