Galapagos Species Database
The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.
Phaleria manicata
Escarabajo tenebriónido, Darkling beetle
colour and spotting variations exist, the lightest being on Santa Fé, the darkest on Fernandina.
Scavenger; often in large numbers in littoral zone, especially on beaches frequented by sea lions; January–June, October–December; adults and larvae occur under and feed on sea lion dung on beach sand at night; sometimes very abundant at lights on beach, but not inland.
Domain
Eukaryota
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Arthropoda
Class
Insecta
Order
Coleoptera
Suborder
Polyphaga
Superfamily
Tenebrionoidea
Family
Tenebrionidae
Section
Phaleriini
Genus
Phaleria
Species
manicata
Taxon category: Accepted
Origin: Endemic
Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.
Distribution: Baltra, Bartolomé, Española, Fernandina, Floreana, Gardner at Española, Genovesa, Isabela, Marchena, Pinta, Rábida, San Cristóbal, Santa Cruz, Santa Fé, Santiago, Seymour
- Franz, H. (1985) Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Koleopterenfauna der Galapagos-Inseln. Österr. Akad. Wissensch. Mathem.-naturw. Kl., Abt. I, 194(1-5): 73-124.
- Kaszab, Z. (1970) Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae. Mission Zool. Belge aux îles Galapagos et en Ecuador (N. et J. Leleup, 1964-1965) 2: 183-210.
- Linell, M.L. (1898) On the coleopterous insects of the Galapagos Islands. Proc. U. S. Natl. Mus. 21(1143): 249-268.
- 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.
- Linsley, E.G. (1977) Insects of the Galápagos (Supplement). Occassional Papers of the Califoria Academy of Sciences 125: 1-50.
- Mutchler, A.J. (1925) Coleoptera. From the Williams Galapagos Expedition. Zoologica 5(20): 219-240.
- 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.
- Peck, S.B. (1994) Sea-surface (Pleuston) transport of insects between islands in the Galápagos archipelago, Ecuador. Annls. Entomol. Soc. Am. 87(5): 576-582.
- Van Dyke, E.C. (1953) The Coleoptera of the Galapagos Islands. Occasional Papers of the California Academy of Sciences 22: 1-181.
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This page should be cited as follows:
"Galapagos Species Database, Phaleria manicata", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=6785. Accessed 5 June 2026.