| Mordellidae Temporal range:
| |
|---|---|
| |
| Mordella aculeata; note the "pintail" | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Suborder: | Polyphaga |
| Infraorder: | Cucujiformia |
| Superfamily: | Tenebrionoidea |
| Family: | Mordellidae Latreille, 1802 |
| Subfamilies | |
| |
| Synonyms | |
|
Liaoximordellidae | |
The Mordellidae are a family of beetles commonly known as tumbling flower beetles for the typical irregular movements they make when escaping predators, or as pintail beetles due to their abdominal tip which aids them in performing these tumbling movements.[citation needed] Worldwide, there are about 1500 species.[1]
- ^ Michael A. Ivie (2002). "Mordellidae". In Ross H. Arnett & Michael Charles Thomas (ed.). Polyphaga: Scarabaeoidea through Curculionoidea. American Beetles. Vol. 2. CRC Press. ISBN 978-0-8493-0954-0.