About Eleodes gigantea Mannerheim, 1843
Eleodes gigantea is a species of desert stink beetle, also categorized as a darkling beetle, that belongs to the family Tenebrionidae. This species occurs along the Pacific coast from San Francisco, California down to Tijuana, Mexico, though it is more commonly found in the lower half of California, ranging from Santa Cruz to San Diego. Individuals of this species typically have smooth black elytra. Like other species in the genus Eleodes, when Eleodes gigantea feels threatened, it secretes benzoquinone and upturns its body to spray this secretion. The benzoquinone secretion produced by this beetle is orange in color, has a strong odor, and irritates the eyes to cause watering. Subfossil remains of the subspecies Eleodes gigantea meridionalis have been recovered from the La Brea Tar Pits. Some of the earliest documented records of Eleodes gigantea as a species date back to 1918. Eleodes gigantea is most active at sundown.
