Beetles     Order Coleoptera      Family Staphylinidae - Rove Beetles             Author - Dr. Vladimir Gusarov

This is one of the largest families of beetles, with more than three thousand North American species.  Most rove beetles can be recognized by having very short elytra which usually cover only the first two abdominal tergites; the rest of the abdomen is exposed beyond the apices of the elytra. This makes the body more flexible and allows the beetle to move easily in porous substrates. In most species the hind wings are well developed and, when at rest, are folded under the elytra. The smallest staphylinids are less than 1 mm, and the largest are about 25 mm in length.

These beetles are very abundant in most terrestrial habitats, but prefer humid situations. They are often collected in decaying material, particularly forest litter, dung or carrion. They also occur under stones and other objects on the ground, along the shores of  streams and the seashore, in soil, fungi, and in the nests of birds, mammals, ants, and termites. Most species are predaceous, but there are some which feed on rotting plant material, fungal spores or mycelium, algae and pollen.

Rove Beetles  (Staphylinidae) of Black Rock Forest (for more information - click here)
 

Brathinus	varicornis	LeConte, 1852
Arpedium	schwarzi	Fauvel, 1878
Oxyporus	rufipennis	LeConte, 1863
Nudobius	cephalus	(Say, 1834)
Lithocharodes	longicollis	(LeConte, 1863)
Neohypnus	beckeri	Smetana, 1982
Erichsonius	parcus	(Horn, 1884)
Erichsonius	patella	(Horn, 1884)
Erichsonius	rosellus	Frank, 1975
Gabrius	fallaciosus	(Horn, 1884)
Gabrius	ovaliceps	(Fall, 1930)
Hesperus	apicalis	(Say, 1830)
Philonthus	cyanipennis	(Fabricius, 1792)
Bisnius	blandus	(Gravenhorst, 1806)
Laetulonthus	laetulus	(Say, 1834)
Ontholestes	cingulatus	(Gravenhorst, 1802)
Platydracus	violaceus	(Gravenhorst, 1802)
Platydracus	cinnamopterus	(Gravenhorst, 1802)
Acylophorus	caseyi	Leng, 1920
Hemiquedius	ferox	(LeConte, 1878)
Bryoporus	rufescens	LeConte, 1863
Carphacis	intrusus	(Horn, 1877)
Coproporus	ventriculus	(Say, 1834)
Lordithon	cinctus	(Gravenhorst, 1802)
Lordithon	facilis	(Casey, 1884)
Lordithon	thoracicus venustus	(Melsheimer, 1846)
Mycetoporus	consors	LeConte, 1863
Sepedophilus	cinctulus	(Erichson, 1839)
Sepedophilus	littoreus	(Linnaeus, 1758)
Tachyporus	nimbicola	Campbell, 1979
Nitidotachinus	scrutator	(Gemminger & Harold, 1868)
Tachinus	fimbriatus	Gravenhorst, 1802
Tachinus	fumipennis	(Say, 1834)
Tachinus	luridus	Erichson, 1840
Tachinus	minimus	Campbell, 1973
Tachinus	tachyporoides	Horn, 1877
Deinopsis	rapida	Casey, 1911
Leptusa	brevicollis	Casey, 1893
Leptusa	nanula	Casey, 1893
Atheta	maeklini	Fenyes, 1920
Atheta	modesta	(Melsheimer, 1846)
Atheta	phrenetica	(Casey, 1910)
Atheta	prudhoensis	(Lohse, 1990)

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