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the web of life in southern Africa

Family: Melyridae (soft-winged flower beetles)

Life > Eukaryotes > Opisthokonta > Metazoa (animals) > Bilateria > Ecdysozoa > Panarthropoda > Tritocerebra > Arthopoda > Mandibulata > Atelocerata > Panhexapoda > Hexapoda > Insecta (insects) > Dicondyla > Pterygota > Metapterygota > Neoptera > Eumetabola > Holometabola > Coleoptera (beetles) > Polyphaga > Superfamily: Cleroidea

Small (4-11mm) dorsally flattened beetles. Often brightly coloured and metallic and sometimes covered with erect hairs. The pronotum has distinct margins. Adults occur in flowers and feed on pollen while larvae are carnivorous.

Astylus atromaculatus

Melyris sp.

Astylus atromaculatus (Spotted maize beetle), 10mm. [image by M. Picker & C. Griffiths ©, from Field Guide to Insects of South Africa, used with permission].

Melyris sp., (metallic groove-winged flower beetles), 7mm. [image by M. Picker & C. Griffiths ©, from Field Guide to Insects of South Africa, used with permission].

Classification