Spotted Tumbling Flower Beetle vs Giant Darkling Beetle of St. Helena

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Spotted Tumbling Flower Beetle Giant Darkling Beetle of St. Helena
Scientific Name Mordellistena pumila Hegeter politus
Order Coleoptera Coleoptera
Family Mordellidae Tenebrionidae
Size 2-3.5 mm 1.5-2.5 cm
Habitat Farmland Heathland
Diet Pollen Feeders Detritivores
Regions Europe St. Helena
Conservation Least Concern Endangered

Spotted Tumbling Flower Beetle

A tiny tumbling flower beetle found on composite flowers in summer. Larvae develop in plant stems. One of the smallest and most frequently encountered mordellid species.

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Did You Know?

So small that it can hide inside individual florets of composite flower heads.

Giant Darkling Beetle of St. Helena

A darkling beetle endemic to the remote island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic. It is nocturnal and hides under stones during the day.

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Did You Know?

St. Helena has over 400 endemic invertebrate species, many of which are found nowhere else.