''Mezium'' is a genus of
beetles in the subfamily
Ptininae
Spider beetles make up the subfamily Ptininae, in the family Ptinidae. There are approximately 70 genera and 600 species in the subfamily, with about 12 genera and 70 species in North America north of Mexico.
Spider beetles have round bodies wi ...
, the spider beetles. It is distributed throughout most of the world. There are two
centers of distribution: an area extending from the
Iberian Peninsula to
Morocco, including the
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Morocc ...
; and an area extending through central and southern
Africa. Several species are recently described African
endemics
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...
.
[Borowski, J. (2009)]
The spider beetles of the continental Africa (Coleoptera: Ptinidae). Part I – Genus ''Mezium'' Curtis.
''Studies and Reports of District Museum Pargue-East, Taxonomical Series'' 5, 1-10. They are most common in coastal areas, and in regions with a
Mediterranean climate.
[
Their most common natural habitat type is caves, where they feed on animal feces, especially bat ]guano
Guano (Spanish from qu, wanu) is the accumulated excrement of seabirds or bats. As a manure, guano is a highly effective fertilizer due to the high content of nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium, all key nutrients essential for plant growth. G ...
. They are adaptable to human-made structures such as barns and chicken coop
Poultry farming is the form of animal husbandry which raises domesticated birds such as chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese to produce meat or eggs for food. Poultry – mostly chickens – are farmed in great numbers. More than 60 billion chicke ...
s.[
Species include:][''Mezium''.]
Fauna Europaea.
*'' Mezium affine'' – shiny spider beetle
*'' Mezium africanum''
*''Mezium americanum
''Mezium americanum'', the American spider beetle or black spider beetle, is a species of beetle in the subfamily Ptininae, the spider beetles. These are sometimes mistaken for spiders or mites because of their rounded abdomens and long legs. ...
'' – American spider beetle, black spider beetle
*'' Mezium andreaei''
*'' Mezium giganteum''
*'' Mezium glabrum''
*'' Mezium gracilicorne''
*'' Mezium horridum''
*'' Mezium namibiensis''
*'' Mezium pseudafricanum''
*'' Mezium pseudamericanum''
*'' Mezium setosum''
*'' Mezium sulcatum''
References
*
*
Ptinidae
Polyphaga genera
{{Bostrichoidea-stub