The Diversity of Hong Kong's Tumbling Flower Beetles

The small beetles of the family Mordellidae are known for frequenting flowers and attempting to escape capture by springing and falling, or tumbling. Most species are only a few millimeters long, but the larger species - including at least one from the mainland New Territories - approach a centimeter. Most species are dark brown or nearly black, but some are colourfully patterned in shades of yellow, orange or red. Their shape is quite distinctive and makes them easy to recognize. Their abdomens are elongated as a spike-like process, the pygidium, that extends well beyond the carapace formed by the elytra, or wing shields. Their hind legs are disproportionately large. Unlike most other beetles, mordellid beetles are vertically compressed and bowed or hump-backed.

To date, I have gathered 14 species from Hong Kong belonging to eight genera: Falsomordellistena, Glipidiomorpha, Glipostenoda , Mordella, Mordellina, Mordellistena, Mordellistenoda, and Pseudotolida. This is a remarkable diversity for such a small area. Most of them appear to be new to science and undescribed. I am working on a manuscript of species descriptions. Because many mordellid genera are defined on male characters only, I need more specimens for some of these 14 species and much more complete geographic coverage. Interested people can help by pickling any mordellids they find in ordinary 70% isopropyl or ethyl alcohol, and passing them on, labelled as to location, date, collector and plant species found on (if known) to entomologists at Kadoorie Farm or the Department of Ecology and Biodiversity, HKU. I usually come to Hong Kong each year in July and August.

Dr WENHUA LU,
The Conservation Agency,
6 Swinburne Street, Jamestown, Rl 02835, USA
wenhua@uriacc.uri.edu

P.8

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