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Anthicidae: Ant-like flower beetles

Anthicus antherinus (Linnaeus, 1760)

Cambridge, Gwydir Street: 2 Feb 2021 Larvae develop among decaying plant material and pupate during the summer. Adults are polyphagous, feeding on pollen and nectar but also small insects. NBN Atlas

Mordellidae: Tumbling flower beetles

Mordellistena variegata (Fabricius, 1798)

Cambridge, Stourbridge Common TL469597, 26 July 2016 Tumbling flower beetles are small, and so-called from the erratic motions they make when escaping predators. The extended abdominal tip assists in these motions. Members of the family are typically found on umbellifer flowers. NBN Atlas

Oedemeridae: False blister beetles

Oedemera lurida (Marsham, 1802)

Cambridge, Trumpington Meadows TL433543, 2 June 2015 Lacks the iridescence of O. nobilis (below), and neither sex has swollen legs. Feeding habits are similar to nobilis. A third species O. virescens is hard to differentiate from lurida but is much scarcer. NBN Atlas

Thick-Legged Flower Beetle Oedemera nobilis (Scopoli, 1763)

Cambridge, Gwydir Street, 25 May & 1 June 2014 The female on the right lacks the distinctive swollen legs of the male Adults feed on nectar and pollen of various flowers Larvae are reported to feed on stems of thistles The species has expanded its range markedly over the last decade and is now widespread south of The Wash. Suddenly become common in Cambridge in spring 2014. NBN Atlas

Pyrochroidae: Cardinal beetles

Red-headed Cardinal Beetle Pyrochroa serraticornis (Scopoli, 1763)

Cambridge, Byron's Pool TL434545, 20 May 2015 Readily distinguished from P. coccinea which has a black head. May be found on flowers, trunks and stumps where it hunts other insects. Larvae live under bark and feed on bark beetle larvae, fungal hyphae and soft cambium tissue. NBN Atlas

Scraptiidae: False flower beetles

Anaspis fasciata (Forster, 1771)

Cambridge, Gwydir Street, 20 May 2015 Adults widely distributed and found on hawthorn blossom. Larvae are said to be "lignicolous", i.e. associated with wood. NBN Atlas

Anaspis maculata (Geoffroy in Fourcroy, 1785)

Gwydir Street: 23 May 2021 Adults can occur in very large numbers, on open structured flowers such as Hawthorn or Elder blossom, Hogweed and Daisy flowers Larvae are thought to be detritivores or scavengers. NBN Atlas

Tenebrionidae: Darkling beetles

Isomira murina (Linnaeus, 1758)

Roman Road SSSI TL522522: 25 May 2023 Adults are diurnal and occur on flowers or among vegetation generally. Larvae develop in dead wood. NBN Atlas

Lagria hirta (Linnaeus, 1758)

Cambridge, Gwydir Street, 23 Jun 2002 Common on foliage and flowers in summer Larvae live in leaf litter Some authorities place this genus in a separate family Lagriidae NBN Atlas

Mealworm beetle Tenebrio molitor Linnaeus, 1758

Cambridge, Gwydir Street, 31 May 2015 Larvae are known as mealworms and can be a pest by eating stored grain. They are used as pet food, wild bird food, and fishing bait, and even eaten by humans in some cultures. Mainly central and eastern England. NBN Atlas

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