Tumbling Flower Beetles-Mordellidae

Tumbling Flower Beetles- Mordellidae

Known as tumbling flower beetles, the Mordellidae are silky black beetles. A mordellid is unmistakable because of its humped back and its long, wedge-shaped abdomen that is flattened considerably towards the tail. The head of the adult mordellid is bent down to such an extent that the beetle appears to be looking to the rear. Many members of this family are fine jumpers.

Usually black or mottled gray in color, the Mordellidae are usually seen on flowers. They are agile insects and take their common name from the tumbling movements they perform in order to escape predators. The larvae of the Mordellidae are found in decaying wood, and in some species are voracious predators.

The most common members of the family Mordellidae are small, seldom averaging much more than Vs inch in length. Some of the tumbling beetles are larger. A representative species is Mordella marginata.