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Family Staphylinidae - Rove Beetles
Classification Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Coleoptera (Beetles)
Suborder Polyphaga (Water, Rove, Scarab, Longhorn, Leaf and Snout Beetles)
Superfamily Staphylinoidea (Rove, Carrion and Fungus Beetles)
Family Staphylinidae (Rove Beetles)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes Includes Brathinidae, Dasyceridae, Empelidae, Micropeplidae, Oxytelidae, Oxyporidae, Pselaphidae, Scaphidiidae and Scydmaenidae. Explanation of Names Author of family is Latreille, 1802. From Staphylinus, which is New Latin (Linnaeus, 1758) from Greek staphilinos (σαφυλι&nuοσ), a type of insect. This is originally from Greek σαφυλη, a bunch of grapes (1). Numbers In North America, about 17 subfamilies, 313 genera, 3100 species--the most diverse beetle family in the region (2).
"The family Staphylinidae sensu latissimo becomes [with the addition of the former "Scydmaenidae"] the largest in Coleoptera and in the whole of the Animal Kingdom, with 55,440 described species (extant plus extinct), thus surpassing Curculionidae with an estimated 51,000 described species." (Grebennikov & Newton 2009) Size 0.7-25 mm, most 1-10 mm Identification Thin, active beetles with shortened elytra that do not, at first glance, resemble beetles. In typical form, body appears to be divided into four parts when viewed from above. Family characteristics:
first abdominal sternite entire, not divided by hind coxae (charcteristic of suborder Polyphaga)
body shape typically elongated, with parallel sides
elytra short (about same length as pronotum, or only slightly longer), typically exposing 3-6 (usually 5-6) abdominal segments, though abdomen concealed in a few
though elytra are short, wings are functional in most groups and they fly well
coloration usually brown or black, some brightly colored
antennae thread-like or clubbed
tarsal formula variable, usually 5-5-5, but sometimes 4-5-5, 5-4-4, etc.
Some species run with abdomen curled up over thorax as if it were a stinger but no rove beetle has a stinger. Members of the genus Paederus, however, do contain a potent toxin, pederin, that can cause a painful or itchy long-lasting welt on the skin.
Distinguishing staphylinid from carabid larvae
If you have a larva in hand (well, with some magnification, probably), you can tell carabids from staphs because the former have 6-segmented legs and often 2 claws, while staphs have only 5-segmented legs and always only 1 claw. Also, nearly all carabids have the urgomphi solidly attached to segment 9 (no joint at the base), and at least some of the ones that do have them articulated basally have more than 2 segments, which staphs never have. Staphs almost always have the urogomphi articulated and they have only one or two segments; the ones with solid urogomphi are all little guys (including pselaphines) and quite different in form from carabid larvae.
(communication to Jim McClarin from Margaret Thayer, Ph.D., Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago IL) Habitat Often found under rocks, logs, etc. Some found on edges of bodies of water, others on carrion, decaying fungi, etc. Food Most adults and larvae are predatory on other invertebrates. Some larvae feed on decaying vegetation. Remarks The addition of the former "Scydmaenidae" to the already huge family Staphylinidae makes this family the largest in Coleoptera, with 55,440 described species (extant plus extinct) recognized as valid through the end of 2007 (Newton, 2007, slightly updated), thus surpassing its only rival (Gaston, 1991), the Curculionidae, with an estimated 51,000 described species (Oberprieler et al., 2007). This makes Staphylinidae, or rove beetles, the most diverse family of Animalia. (Grebennikov & Newton 2009) See Also Fairly distinctive among beetles, could be mistaken for earwigs ( Dermaptera) at first glance. Print References The Century Dictionary--entry for Staphylinus (1)
American Beetles, Vol. 1, Chapter 22 (4)
Gaston, K.J. 1991. The magnitude of global insect species richness. Conservation Biology 5: 283–296.
Grebennikov V.V. & A.F. Newton. 2009. Good-bye Scydmaenidae, or why the ant-like stone beetles should become megadiverse Staphylinidae sensu latissimo (Coleoptera). European Journal of Entomology 106: 275–301. Full PDF
Newton, A.F. 2007. Documenting biodiversity: how well are we doing in Staphyliniformia (Coleoptera)? Entomological Society of America poster presentation D0471.
Oberprieler, R.G., Marvaldi, A.E. and Anderson, R.S. 2007. Weevils, weevils, weevils everywhere. Zootaxa 1668: 491–520. Full PDF |
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