Decipher our collections,
discover hidden archives
and contribute to knowledge

Welcome to another Australian Museum Entomology expedition! This expedition is looking at the family Tenebrionidae, Darkling Beetles. This is a diverse group of beetles found in deserts and forests worldwide. Mostly scavengers, they feed on decaying plants, wood, fungi, and dead insects. Some larger species are flightless, while others rarely use their wings. Several genera, like Bolitotherus, specialise in eating fungi.

This expedition is part of the Australian Museum's Collection Enhancement Project (CEP). The CEP will result in new levels of access to the AM’s diverse collections, making digital images and meta data easily accessible to First Nations communities, scientists, researchers, students and individuals from Australia and abroad.