Stenocara dentata, the long-legged darkling beetle, is an insect of darkling beetle family found in southern Africa. The beetle stands in a head down posture on sand dunes to catch the morning mist which collects in drops on its body and slides into its mouth.[1] It is large enough to crawl out of the trap of the plant, Hydnora africana, unlike smaller beetles which remain trapped for several days.[2]

Stenocara dentata
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Family: Tenebrionidae
Genus: Stenocara
Species:
S. dentata
Binomial name
Stenocara dentata
Herbst, 1799

References

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  1. ^ ZooGram, Sarah Evans, Maryland Zoo, Winter 2005
  2. ^ POLLINATION BIOLOGY OF HYDNORA AFRICANA THUNB. (HYDNORACEAE) IN NAMIBIA: BROOD-SITE MIMICRY WITH INSECT IMPRISONMENT, Jay F. Bolin,* Erika Maass, and Lytton J. Musselman, Old Dominion University, U.S.A. and University of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia; Int. J. Plant Sci. 170(2):157–163. 2009.