Mezium
# Mezium

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. 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 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
