Tumbling-locomotion

Guides

• Mordellidae

  tumbling flower beetles, pintail beetles

  Mordellidae is a family of beetles in the superfamily Tenebrionoidea, comprising approximately 1500 species worldwide. Adults are commonly found on flowers and are known for their distinctive escape behavior involving rapid, irregular tumbling movements. The family contains two extant subfamilies (Mordellinae and Ctenidiinae) and one fossil subfamily (Praemordellinae). Larval development occurs in diverse substrates including plant stems, wood, and fungi, with some species exhibiting predaceous or inquiline habits.

  ColeopteraTenebrionoideatumbling-locomotionpollinivoroussaproxylicgall-inducingscrew-jointmetacoxa-trochanterflower-visitingdead-wood-dependent