Bug FAQRacingstripe Darkling Beetle
Stenocara gracilipes
The racingstripe darkling beetle lives in the Namib Desert, one of the world’s driest places, receiving only about 1.4 cm of rain each year. It survives by gathering water on the bumps of its hardened wing covers from early-morning fogs and, later, from dew.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Its stiff, bumpy elytra collect water droplets from fog that rolls over its back.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
The desert receives only about 1.4 cm of rain per year, making water scarce.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The beetle obtains water by capturing moisture from early-morning fog on its bumpy back. It can also take up water from dew when fog is absent.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Stenocara gracilipes is native to the Namib Desert of southern Africa.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
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Questions people ask
How does the racingstripe darkling beetle get water in the desert?
It collects droplets on the bumps of its hardened wing covers from early-morning fog and can also absorb water from dew.
Source: Wikipedia
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stenocara_gracilipes
Look it up elsewhere: iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.