Galapagos Species Database
The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.
Ammophorus bifoveatus
Escarabajo tenebriónido, Darkling beetle
There is considerable variation in pronotal sculpturing within populations of this species. It ranges from punctate with no longitudinal ridge to with very distinct longitudinal ridges on Santiago and Floreana, but all Santa Fé specimens have uniformly distinct ridges from anterior to posterior pronotal margins.
Scavenger; arid zone; January–June, August, October, December; under rocks, oatmeal pit traps, blue cheese bottle traps, dung traps, carrion traps, FIT, at lights.
Domain
Eukaryota
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Arthropoda
Class
Insecta
Order
Coleoptera
Suborder
Polyphaga
Superfamily
Tenebrionoidea
Family
Tenebrionidae
Section
Nyctoporini
Genus
Ammophorus
Species
bifoveatus
Taxon category: Accepted
Syn.: A. obscurus Linell, 1898, A. bifoveatus barringtoni Van Dyke, 1953; Peck (2006): Kaszab (1970: 186) states that this species is also known from collections by N. and J. Leleup in alpine grasslands in mainland Ecuador. Until this can be confirmed, I think it most likely that this is a case of mislabeling of specimens.
Origin: Endemic
Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.
Distribution: Floreana, Marchena, Santa Fé, Santiago
- Peck, S.B. (2006) The Beetles of the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador: Evolution, Ecology, and Diversity (Insecta: Coleoptera) NRC Research Press, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. 314 pp.
- Franz, H. (1985) Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Koleopterenfauna der Galapagos-Inseln. Österr. Akad. Wissensch. Mathem.-naturw. Kl., Abt. I, 194(1-5): 73-124.
- Linsley, E.G. Usinger, R.L. (1966) Insects of the Galápagos Islands. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences Fourth Series 33(7): 113-196.
- Van Dyke, E.C. (1953) The Coleoptera of the Galapagos Islands. Occasional Papers of the California Academy of Sciences 22: 1-181.
- Kaszab, Z. (1970) Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae. Mission Zool. Belge aux îles Galapagos et en Ecuador (N. et J. Leleup, 1964-1965) 2: 183-210.
- Mutchler, A.J. (1925) Coleoptera. From the Williams Galapagos Expedition. Zoologica 5(20): 219-240.
- Linell, M.L. (1898) On the coleopterous insects of the Galapagos Islands. Proc. U. S. Natl. Mus. 21(1143): 249-268.
- Waterhouse, G.R. (1845) Descriptions of coleopterous insects collected by Charles Darwin, Esq., in the Galapagos Islands. Ann. Nat. Hist. 16: 19-41.
- Finston, T.L. Peck, P.B. & Perry, R.B. (1997) Population density and dispersal ability in Darwin's darklings: fligtless beetles of the Galapagos island. Pan-pacific Entomologist 73(2): 110-121.
- Parkin, P. Parkin D.T., Ewing, A.W. & Ford, H.A. (1972) A report on the arthropods collected by the Edinburgh University Galapagos Islands Expedition, 1968. The Pan-pacific Entomologist 48: 100-107.
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This page should be cited as follows:
"Galapagos Species Database, Ammophorus bifoveatus", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=5518. Accessed 8 May 2025.