Stenocara

Stenocara is a genus of darkling beetles (family Tenebrionidae) native to the arid regions of southwestern Africa, most notably the Namib Desert. These beetles are best known for their remarkable adaptation that allows them to harvest water from fog, a vital resource in their extremely dry habitat.

The most well-known species within the Stenocara genus is Stenocara gracilipes, often referred to as the "fog basking beetle" or "Namib beetle". Stenocara gracilipes has a uniquely textured exoskeleton. Its elytra (wing covers) are covered in hydrophilic (water-attracting) bumps surrounded by hydrophobic (water-repelling) troughs. When fog rolls in, the hydrophilic bumps collect moisture from the air. Once the water droplets on these bumps reach a certain size, they roll down the hydrophobic troughs into the beetle's mouthparts.

This adaptation allows Stenocara beetles to survive in an environment where rainfall is scarce and other sources of water are limited. The study of their fog-harvesting mechanism has inspired the development of biomimetic technologies aimed at collecting water in arid climates. While Stenocara gracilipes is the most studied, other species within the Stenocara genus may also possess similar, though perhaps less efficient, fog-harvesting capabilities. The exact number of species within the genus is subject to ongoing taxonomic review.