Tumbling Flower Beetles
Mordellidae
Classification
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Hexapoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Coleoptera
- Suborder: Polyphaga
- Superfamily: Tenebrionoidea
- Family: Mordellidae
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Mordellidae: //mɔːrˈdɛl.ɪˌdiː//
These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.
Images
Summary
Mordellidae, known as tumbling flower beetles or pintail beetles, are distinguished by their distinctive jumping and tumbling escape behavior. They are commonly found on flowers and play important ecological roles as flower visitors.
Physical Characteristics
Body size ranging from 1.5 to 15 mm, usually 3 to 8 mm. Humpbacked and wedge-shaped, with a broad front and a pointed abdomen extending beyond the elytra. Antennae are short to moderate, can be threadlike, sawtoothed, or clubbed. Tarsal claws often bilobed or comblike.
Identification Tips
Identification beyond family often involves counting the number of ridges on the hind tibia and tarsi.
Habitat
Common on flowers and foliage; sometimes found on dead trees and logs. Larvae occur in dead or dying hardwoods, pith of weeds, or in bracket fungi.
Distribution
Over 200 species in 17 genera north of Mexico, with around 1500 species worldwide; 56 species in Canada, 68 species in Wisconsin, 43 in New Hampshire, 38 in Florida, and 26 in California.
Diet
Larvae believed to consume plant material in decaying wood, while some are leaf/stem miners or predaceous. Adults of many species visit flowers.
Life Cycle
The life cycle specifics are not detailed, but it is noted that larvae are associated with decaying wood and other plant material.
Ecosystem Role
Adults interact with flowers, contributing to pollination and the ecological dynamics of flower visiting behaviors. Larvae play a role in the breakdown of tough plant materials.
Evolution
The family has two living subfamilies (Mordellinae and Ctenidiinae) and one prehistoric subfamily (Praemordellinae). Morphological features suggest a common phylogeny among tumbling forms of locomotion.
Similar Taxa
Misconceptions
The abdominal tip is often believed to be mainly for propulsion, but its primary role is aiding in tumbling movements, with the motion more reliant on the third leg pair's mechanics.
Tags
- Coleoptera
- Mordellidae
- Tumbling Flower Beetles
- Pintail Beetles