Antlike flower beetle (Coleoptera: Anthicidae: Malporus sp.) photographed 11/22/2012 near Blissfield, Michigan.

While digging through some weeds in a greenhouse the other day, I uncovered a number of these tiny antlike flower beetles (Coleoptera: Anthicidae: Malporus sp.). Adults in this family are often found on plants and feed on smaller arthropods, pollen, and fungi. While they do bear a vague resemblance to ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), one obvious characteristic that separates them is their wings. Beetles have forewings that are modified into thickened elytra, which cover the membranous hind wings. On ants the wings are all membranous, if present at all.