ENY 3005 Family Identification

Coleoptera: Staphylinidae

 Common name: rove beetles

Identifying characteristics for the family Staphylinidae include:

• First abdominal sternite entire, not divided by hind coxae (suborder Polyphaga).
• Adults elongate-slender, 0.7-25 mm.
• Elytra short, leaving 3 to 6 abdominal segments exposed.
• Tarsi usually 5-5-5, but 4-5-5, 5-4-4, et al.

• Over 26,800 species described with more than 2800 species in North America. Eleven of the 17 subfamilies are illustrated in White's Field Guide.
• Most species are predaceous on insects.

References:

• Pages 160-161 in D. J. Borror and R. E. White. 1970. A Field Guide to the Insects. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.
• Pages 110-118 in R. E. White. 1983. A Field Guide to Beetles of North America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. 368 p.
• Page 414 in D. J. Borror, C. A. Triplehorn, and N. F. Johnson. 1989. An Introduction to the Study of Insects, 6th ed. Philadelphia: Saunders College Publishing. 875 p.
• Page 465 in H. V. Daly, J. T. Doyen, and A. H. Purcell III. 1998. Introduction to Insect Biology and Diversity, 2nd ed. Oxford University Press. 680 p.
• Page 194 in R. G. Bland and H. E. Jaques. 1978. How to Know the Insects, 3rd ed. Dubuque, Iowa: Wm. C. Brown Co. 409 p.