Diet

• Adults: Primarily feed on fungi, decaying plant material, pollen, nectar and other organic matter, although feeding habits vary among species.

• Larvae: Generally associated with decaying wood, leaf litter and decomposing vegetation, where they feed on organic material and microorganisms.

• Some species are closely associated with trees and woody vegetation, while others occur on the forest floor.

Range

• Strongylium is a large genus of darkling beetles (Tenebrionidae) in the subfamily Stenochiinae, tribe Stenochiini. The genus is particularly diverse in tropical and subtropical regions, with more than 300 species known from the Neotropics.

• Species occur in western and southern Mexico, including tropical habitats similar to those around Zihuatanejo.

• It is occasionally sighted in Zihua, particularly in wooded areas and during the rainy season when fungi and decomposing vegetation are abundant.

Habitat

• Found in tropical dry forest, tropical deciduous forest, woodland, forest edges and areas containing dead or decaying wood.

• Adults may be encountered on tree trunks, branches, foliage and flowers, as well as on fallen logs.

• Around Zihua, look particularly around dead branches, rotting wood, beneath loose bark and vegetation near forest edges.

• Some species are attracted to lights at night, making illuminated walls and outdoor lights useful places to check.

Size

• Adult length: approximately 7–20 mm (0.28–0.8 in), depending on species.

• Body generally elongate and cylindrical, with relatively long, slender antennae.

• Colouration varies considerably but commonly includes dark brown, black, bronze or metallic green, with some species having reddish or yellowish markings.

• The elongated body and relatively narrow pronotum are useful general characteristics of the group.