Mordellidae (Pintail Beetles)Hoshihananomia leucosticte Mordella australis

— Austromordella niveosuturalis | Mordella australis | Mordella dumbrelli | Mordella limbata | Mordella sydneyana

The family Mordellidae are a group of beetles commonly known as Pintail Beetles and Tumbling Flower Beetles. The beetles in this family are fairly easy to recognise due to their body shape – the last segment of the abdomen is prolonged, giving the beetle a “pintail shape”. The species vary in size from small to medium.

Another feature of this family of beetles is their movement, described as “tumbling”. The tumbling movements are composed of a series of very rapid separate jumps (detailed information describing the movement is described in Wikipedia). There are about 1,500 species worldwide, with many undescribed species2.

The adult Pintail Beetles are found feeding on flowers. The larvae of some species larvae live in decaying trees and logs.

Austromordella niveosuturalis
Austromordella niveosuturalis (Mordellidae Beetle), Wandoo National Park WA © Jean and Fred Hort
Austromordella niveosuturalis (Mordellidae Beetle) on Baeckea crispiflora, Wandoo National Park WA © Jean and Fred Hort
Hoshihananomia leucosticta
Hoshihananomia leucosticta (White-spotted Pintail Beetle), Belair SA © Marianne Broug
Hoshihananomia leucosticta (White-spotted Pintail Beetle), Belair SA © Marianne Broug
Mordella australis
Mordella australis, Belair SA © Marianne Broug
Mordella australis (Pintail Beetle), Belair SA © Marianne Broug
Mordella dumbrelli
Mordella dumbrelli (Dumbrell's Pintail Beetle), Belair SA © Marianne Broug
Mordella dumbrelli (Dumbrell’s Pintail Beetle), Belair SA © Marianne Broug
Mordella limbata
Mordella limbata (Pintail Beetle), Belair SA © Marianne Broug
Mordella limbata (Pintail Beetle), Belair SA © Marianne Broug
Mordella sydneyana
Mordella sydneyana (Pintail Beetle), Nudgee QLD © Tony Eales
Mordella sydneyana (Pintail Beetle), Nudgee QLD © Tony Eales
Mordella sp (Pintail Beetle), Lota QLD © Tony Eales
Mordella sp (Pintail Beetle), Lota QLD © Tony Eales
Mordellidae (Pintail Beetle), North Tamborine QLD © Jean and Fred Hort
Mordellidae (Pintail Beetle) 3 mm, North Tamborine QLD © Jean and Fred Hort
Mordella sp (Pintail Beetle), Nudgee QLD © Tony Eales
Mordella sp (Pintail Beetle), Nudgee QLD © Tony Eales
Mordella sp (Pintail Beetle), Nudgee QLD © Tony Eales
Mordella sp (Pintail Beetles), Nudgee QLD © Tony Eales
  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Subphylum: Hexapoda
  • Class: Insecta
  • Informal: Pterygotes
  • Order: Coleoptera
  • Suborder: Polyphaga
  • Superfamily: Tenebrionoidea
  • Family: Mordellidae
  • Subfamily: Mordellinae
  • Tribe:
    • Mordellini Latreille, 1802
    • Mordellistenini Ermisch, 1941

Footnote & References

  1. Mordellinae Latreille, 1802, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/Mordellinae
  2. Mordellidae, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mordellidae
  3. Family Mordellidae – Pintail Beetles, Brisbane Insects and Spiders Home Page, https://www.brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_darklings/Mordellidae.htm

— Austromordella niveosuturalis | Mordella australis | Mordella dumbrelli | Mordella limbata | Mordella sydneyana

Mordellidae (Pintail Beetles)Hoshihananomia leucosticte Mordella australis

ColeopteraColeoptera Index Amarygmus sp Anoplognathus sp Aphanestes gymnopleura Blackburnium cavicolle Buprestidae Carphurus Cerambycidae Chalcopteroides (Chalcopterus Beetle) Christmas Beetles Chrysomelidae (Leaf Beetles) Coleoptera (Beetles) Curculionidae Dung Beetle Eretes australis Helea scaphiformis Hydrophilus Ladybirds (Beetles) Lepidiota Lucanidae Lycidae Mordellidae (Pintail Beetles) Neospades sp Omorgus Paropsine Beetle Paropsisterna sp Phorticosomus sp Protaetia fusca Pterohelaeus sp Rhinotia haemoptera Rhipiceridae Scarabaeidae Tenebrionidae Xylophilostenus octophyllus

InsectsBees Beetles Blattodea Butterflies Coleoptera Cicada Crabronidae Diptera Dragonflies & Damselflies Formicidae Hemiptera Heteroptera Moths Orthoptera Orthopteroid Processionary Caterpillar Stink Bugs, Shield Bugs and Allies Wasps Water Scorpion (Laccotrephes tristis) Witchetty Grub