blistered tumbling flower beetle

not listed

NNR - Unranked

not listed

Blistered tumbling flower beetle is a small tumbling flower beetle. It occurs in southern Canada and in northwestern and eastern North America.

The body is 1 ⁄16″ to ⅛″ (2 to 4 mm) long, more or less wedge-shaped, and broadest in front when viewed from above. When viewed from the side it is convex overall and strongly arched in front, making it appear humpbacked.

The head is black, short, and bent downward. It is attached toward the bottom to the body. There are two large compound eyes and no simple eyes (ocelli). The mouthparts are directed downward. The antennae have 11 segments. On the male the antennae are long and thread-like. On the female they are shorter and somewhat sawtoothed (sub-serrate). They are black except for the first three or four segments, which are reddish-brown.

The exoskeletal plate covering the thorax (pronotum) is black, a little wider than long, and narrowed toward the head. It is as wide at the base as the base of the hardened wing covers (elytra).

The abdomen is long and narrow. The last abdominal is extended into a long, slender, pointed style at the end and is not completely covered by the elytra. The elytra are black with numerous, small, silvery spots that sometimes coalesce into narrow broken bands. The head is minutely punctured (pitted), the pronotum finely punctured, and the elytra coarsely punctured.

The front legs are pale reddish-brown. The rear legs are longer and stouter than the front and middle legs. On the front and middle legs the last part of the leg (tarsus), corresponding to the foot, has 5 segments. On the hind legs the tarsus has only 4 segments.

Body Length (not including anal style): 1 ⁄16″ to ⅛″ (2 to 4 mm)

Total length: ⅛″ to ¼″ (2.5 to 5.5 mm)

February to September

When threatened, the beetle will kick its hind legs rapidly and repeatedly, causing it to bounce or tumble unpredictably.

Sources

24, 29, 30, 82.

blistered tumbling flower beetle

Location: Woodbury, Minnesota