Aleochara

Classification

Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Coleoptera
Suborder: Polyphaga
Superfamily: Staphylinoidea
Family: Staphylinidae
Subfamily: Aleocharinae
Tribe: Aleocharini
Genus: Aleochara

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Aleochara: //ˌæl.i.oʊˈkɛə.rə//

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Images

The Coleoptera of the British islands (Plate 37) (9141669579) by Donisthorpe, Horace St. John Kelly; Fowler, W. W.. Used under a Public domain license.

Aleochara obscurella parasitisme on Coelopa puparium (illustration by Scott, 1920) by Hugh Scott (1885-1960). Used under a CC0 license.

Rove Beetle (Aleochara sp.) (19775656433) by Martin Cooper from Ipswich, UK. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Aleochara curtula (Goeze, 1777) by URSchmidt. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Aleochara lanuginosa by Reginald Webster, Jan Klimaszewski, Georges Pelletier, Karine Savard. Used under a CC BY 3.0 license.

Summary

Aleochara is a genus of rove beetles within the family Staphylinidae, comprising numerous species that play significant ecological roles as predators and parasitoids of dipterans in various decomposing environments.

Habitat

Found near dung or carrion, often in environments where dipteran eggs and larvae are present.

Distribution

Worldwide except Antarctica; at least 150 and possibly more than 400 species in 16 subgenera.

Diet

Adults primarily feed on the eggs, larvae, and pupae of Diptera; larvae are parasitoids that feed within the puparia of certain fly species.

Life Cycle

Adults are predators, and larvae are parasitoids, killing their fly hosts within puparia.

Ecosystem Role

Predators of dipteran eggs, larvae, and pupae; larvae serve as parasitoids in various ecosystems.

Economic Impact

A. bilineata is used as a biological control agent against root maggots, beneficial for agricultural crops.