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ROVE BEETLES

STAPHYLINIDAE: STAPHYLININAE

STAPHYLINIDAE: STAPHYLININAE

subfamily

Staphylininae

known species

8,000

distribution

Worldwide except Antarctica

habitat

Found in most habitats, especially in

decaying substances where prey is likely

to be abundant, from beaches to tropical

forest canopies

size

2–50 mm

diet

Predatory, feeding on soft-bodied prey such

as fly larvae, caterpillars, worms, slugs

notes

One group of Staphylininae, genus

Amblyopinus and its relatives, have adapted

to live entirely in the fur and nests of small

mammals, where they feed on ectoparasites.

Previously, these beetles were believed to be

W

ithin the megadiverse beetle family

Staphylinidae, often considered the largest

family in the animal kingdom, the Staphylininae

is the third largest subfamily, with almost 8,000

named species. Staphylininae also includes the

biggest individual staphylinids, which can reach

up to 2 in (5 cm) in length.

The majority of species are predators as adults

and larvae, many inhabiting dung and carrion,

decomposing seaweed, and other rotting materials,

feeding on fly maggots which abound in such

habitats. Most adult Staphylininae are able to fly,

which allows them to move easily between sources

of food, and they fold their wings very intricately

to fit underneath the short elytra, leaving the whole

abdomen free. The elongated, snake-like body with

telescopic segments allows the adult beetles to be as

flexible as the larvae, and to enter the holes of