Mezium

Mezium
	Mezium americanum
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Infraorder:	Bostrichiformia
Superfamily:	Bostrichoidea
Family:	Anobiidae
Subfamily:	Ptininae
Genus:	Mezium; Curtis, 1828
Species
	see text

Mezium is a genus of beetles in the subfamily Ptininae, 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; and an area extending through central and southern Africa. Several species are recently described African endemics.^[1] They are most common in coastal areas, and in regions with a Mediterranean climate.^[1]

Their most common natural habitat type is caves, where they feed on animal feces, especially bat guano. They are adaptable to human-made structures such as barns and chicken coops.^[1]

Species include:^[1]^[2]

Mezium affine – shiny spider beetle
Mezium africanum
Mezium americanum – 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

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d 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.
^ Mezium. Fauna Europaea.

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[bo-1] 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.

[2] Mezium. Fauna Europaea.

[1]

[2]