Cedar Creek
Ecosystem Science Reserve
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Insects of Cedar Creek
Order COLEOPTERA
Family MORDELLIDAE
(Tumbling Flower Beetles)
The Tumbling Flower Beetles (207 NA spp) are found on the heads of flowers
especially New Jersey Tea (
Ceanothus americanus) and Water Hemlock
(
Cicuta maculata). Larvae are stem-borers. These small wedge-shaped
critters are abundant and taxonomically confusing. Most diverse is the
genus
Mordellistena
(12+spp--
aspera,
bipustulata,
decorella,
splendens,
aequalis,
biplagiata,
limbalis,
nigricans,
ornata,
fulvicollis,
trifasciata????).
Common and larger black species in the genus
Mordella
(3+spp--
melaena,
octomaculata) occur at a wide
range of flowers, perhaps most frequently on the
Rosaceae. The brown
Anaspis flavipennis has also been collected.