Stenocara dentata

Stenocara dentata

No source yet on danger. We have no source yet on whether it bites, stings or damages anything.

Stenocara dentata is a long-legged darkling beetle found in southern Africa. It stands head-down on sand dunes to collect morning mist, which drips into its mouth.

Source: Wikipedia

How to recognize it

It is a long-legged darkling beetle.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it lives

It stands head-down on sand dunes to catch mist.

Source: Wikipedia

What it eats

It drinks water from mist that collects on its body.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it comes from

It lives in southern Africa.

Source: Wikipedia

More photos

Stenocara dentata photo 2 — Photo: Tony Rebelo, CC BY-SA

Stenocara dentata photo 3 — Photo: Tony Rebelo, CC BY-SA

Stenocara dentata photo 4 — Photo: Nicola van Berkel, CC BY-SA

Stenocara dentata photo 5 — Photo: Justin Ponder, CC BY

Questions people ask

How does Stenocara dentata get water?

It stands head-down on sand dunes, lets morning mist collect on its body, and the drops run into its mouth.

Source: Wikipedia

Can it escape the plant Hydnora africana?

Large individuals can crawl out of the plant’s trap, while smaller beetles remain trapped for several days.

Source: Wikipedia

Sources

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stenocara_dentata

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.