Zopherus gracilis Ironclad Beetle

Description

Zopherus gracilis is the slender black ironclad beetle in the family Zopheridae (closely related to Tenebrionidae family desert beetles). This species is pretty good sized at 3/4 of an inch or so and with very smooth, curvy bodies. Like death feigning beetles, they play dead when disturbed but even more convincingly in that their antennae fall into little recesses designed to protect them.

We find that these are more active in the tank than the diabolical ironclad beetles.

See photos available at Bugguide.Net.