Subfamily Aleocharinae

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Internet References · Works Cited

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Coleoptera (Beetles)

Suborder Polyphaga

No Taxon (Series Staphyliniformia)

Superfamily Staphylinoidea

Family Staphylinidae (Rove Beetles)

Subfamily Aleocharinae

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

see(1)(2)(3) for major taxonomic changes not reflected in(4)

Numbers

the largest and the most difficult staphylinid lineage, with >12,000 described spp. in 52 tribes and over 1,000 genera worldwide, but the true global diversity is much greater; in our area, ca. 1,400 described spp. in >180 genera arranged in 21 tribes(4)

Size

<1-10 mm, mostly 3-5 mm(4)

Identification

tarsal formula is critical to identification of genera; 70-100X or higher magnification is recommended(4)

due to the lack of comprehensive keys, in most cases even a staphylinid specialist is unable to identify the vast majority of aleocharines from most geographic regions even to genus, much less to species

identification guide covering nearly all of the species found in eastern Canada(5)

Range

throughout the world

Habitat

virtually all terrestrial habitats

Internet References

Taxon profile (Ashe 2007)

Works Cited

1.	Revision of some types of North American aleocharines (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae), with synonymic notes Gusarov V.I. 2003. Zootaxa 353: 1–134.

2.	Molecular phylogeny of the beetle tribe Oxypodini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae) Osswald J., Bachmann L., Gusarov V.I. 2013. Systematic Entomology DOI: 10.1111/syen.12011.

3.	Phylogeny of the tribe Athetini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) inferred from mitochondrial and nuclear sequence data Elven H., Bachmann L., Gusarov V.I. 2010. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 57: 84–100.

4.	American Beetles, Volume I: Archostemata, Myxophaga, Adephaga, Polyphaga: Staphyliniformia Arnett, R.H., Jr., and M. C. Thomas. (eds.). 2000. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, FL.

5.	Aleocharine rove beetles of eastern Canada (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae): A glimpse of megadiversity Klimaszewski, J; R.P. Webster; D.W. Langor; A. Brunke; A. Davies; C. Bourdon; M. Labrecque; A.F. Newton; J. Dorval; J.H. Frank. 2018. Springer.

Contributed by Jim McClarin on 29 November, 2005 - 7:53pm
Additional contributions by Mike Quinn, v belov, Thrasher
Last updated 25 July, 2020 - 11:02pm

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