Short-winged flower beetles

Definition

A family of small beetles (Kateretidae, superfamily Cucujoidea) characterized by abbreviated elytra that leave several abdominal tergites exposed. Adults feed on pollen and floral tissues (anthophagous), while larvae develop within flower corollas where they consume pollen and ovules (spermatophagous). The family comprises approximately 10 extant genera and 40 described species with cosmopolitan distribution except New Zealand.

Etymology

Common name refers to the reduced elytra that fail to cover the abdomen fully; 'flower' denotes their obligate association with angiosperm blossoms for feeding and larval development.

Example

Members of the genus Brachypterus, short-winged flower beetles, are frequently collected from umbelliferous flowers in temperate meadows where their larvae develop within the compact inflorescences.

Synonyms

• Kateretidae

Related Terms

• Cucujoidea
• Brachypterus
• anthophagy
• spermatophagy
• elytron
• sap beetle
• pollen beetle

Usage Notes

The common name is often preferred in field contexts, though 'Kateretidae' is standard in taxonomic literature. Distinguished from similar pollen-feeding beetles (e.g., Nitidulidae, Melyridae) by the combination of short elytra and cucujoid antennal club. The family was historically treated as a subfamily of Nitidulidae but is now recognized as distinct based on larval morphology and adult genitalic characters.