Check List 21(1): 100-106, doi: 10.15560/21.1.100

First report of the darkling beetle, Opatroides punctulatus Brullé, 1832 (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae) in Idaho, USA, an expanding adventive species in the Pacific Northwest

Armando Falcon-Brindis^‡, Henry Trujillo^‡, Jason Thomas^§

‡ University of Idaho, Parma, United States of America§ Minidoka County Extension Office, Rupert, United States of America

Corresponding author: Armando Falcon-Brindis ( armandofalcon123@gmail.com )

Academic editor: Juan Pablo Botero Rodriguez

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Citation: Falcon-Brindis A, Trujillo H, Thomas J (2025) First report of the darkling beetle, Opatroides punctulatus Brullé, 1832 (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae) in Idaho, USA, an expanding adventive species in the Pacific Northwest. Check List 21(1): 100-106. https://doi.org/10.15560/21.1.100

Abstract

Opatroides punctulatus Brullé, 1832 is a detritivore tenebrionid beetle native to the Old World that was detected in the United States over 20 years ago. It is well adapted to Mediterranean climates between 30°N and 45°N, characterized by hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. We confirm the presence of this species in south‑west Idaho. This work expands its distribution range >500 km northeast from the previous report. Opatroides punctulatus could become a common pest and even displace native Tenebrionidae species.

Keywords

Adventive species, Mediterranean-type climate, Opatrini, Treasure Valley, urban pest