the darkling...

...would be a great name for a Stephen King book or film. Yes/No??

Well they are also the members of Tenebrionidae...the darkling beetle family! and this dude, uniquely Australian, is commonly known as the 'pie dish beetle'.
What distinguishes them from other beetles is the 'flange' or flat area around the edge of the 'lumpy pie' .
This may have developed as a water collecting feature or more probably to protect the soft underside from spiders, scorpions and ants.

Nature NEVER ceases to amaze and not only is this pie dish beetle happily pottering around in the bush, it is a hairy backed pie dish beetle!
Very cool.

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