The Namib Desert of SWA/Namibia supports a rich tenebrionid fauna. Endrdy-Younga (1978) discusses the distribution patterns of southern African groups, including those of the Namib Desert. Penrith tabulates habitat preferences for Zophosini and Adesmiini. The central portion of this coastal desert is sharply divided into three major habitat types: dune field, riverbed, and gravel plain. Much emphasis has been placed on the biology of dune tenebrionids, with special regard to their adaptations. However, comparatively little has been published on the tenebrionids of the river-bed habitat and almost nothing on those of the gravel plain. Keywords: Gobabeb, Kuiseb river-bed, Swakop river-bed, Microhabitats, Acacia dominated woodland, Vegetation patterns, Pitfall traps, Quartz koppie, Inselberg Mirabib, Granite boulders, Grassy gypsum-gravel flats, Plant density, Ethylene glycol, Metriopus depressus, Physosterna cribripes, Zophosis (Calosis) amabilis, Psammophytic diggers.