Malachiidae (soft-winged flower beetles)

The soft-winged flower beetles (Mala­chiidae) are mostly small species with a soft cuticle, with pouches which can be inflated and protrude from the sides of the thorax and abdomen. The males possess an organ (excitator) on the head or on the tip of the elytra giving off a gustatory substance, changing the initial aversion of the female to mating. The adults of most species live mainly on pollen and dead insects, though occasionally turn carnivorous and prey and aphids. The larvae develop in wood and are predacious. Worldwide 3000 species have been described, in Germany 34 species are known to occur.