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.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. They are adaptable to human-made structures such as barns and chicken coops.
Species include:Mezium. Fauna Europaea. 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