Bug FAQBlack Fungus Beetle
Alphitobius laevigatus · Order: Coleoptera · Family: Tenebrionidae
The black fungus beetle (Alphitobius laevigatus) is a darkling beetle in the Tenebrionidae family and is found in Europe and North America. Its larvae grow up to about 15 mm and are mass-reared as feed for captive birds, reptiles and amphibians.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The black fungus beetle is a darkling beetle in the Tenebrionidae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Larvae can reach a length of up to 15 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It occurs in Europe and North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The larvae reach lengths of up to 15 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range includes Europe and North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
The larvae are often marketed as “buffalo worms,” a name also applied to the larvae of Alphitobius diaperinus, which can cause confusion.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 12 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Florida, Ohio, Hawaii, Texas, California, Arizona, Colorado, Georgia.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
Questions people ask
How can I identify the black fungus beetle?
It is a darkling beetle in the Tenebrionidae family, found in Europe and North America, with larvae that grow up to 15 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Tenebrionidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alphitobius_laevigatus
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-28 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-28.