Staphylinina

Members of Staphylinina can be distinguished from other subtribes of Staphylinini by combinations of characters including body size (generally larger than many other rove beetles), antennal structure, and details of the aedeagus and other genitalic features. Specific identification to genus requires examination of characters such as the structure of the head, pronotum, and male genitalia. The subtribe includes some of the largest rove beetles in North America, such as species of Platydracus, which can exceed 20 mm in length.

Habitats vary by genus and species. Members occur in diverse environments including leaf litter, decaying wood, forest floors, wetlands, and synanthropic settings. Some species are associated with termite colonies (termitophily), such as Platydracus juang with Reticulitermes leptomandibularis. Others are found under stones, boards, and in moist microhabitats in disturbed areas.

Cosmopolitan. Documented from North America (including first records in Colorado for introduced species such as Tasgius winkleri), Europe, Asia (China, Japan, Nepal, Taiwan, India), and other regions. The subtribe is particularly diverse in the Palaearctic and Oriental regions.

• Reticulitermes leptomandibularis - termitophilyAssociation with Platydracus juang, representing the first documented case of termitophily in the subtribe Staphylinina

Complete metamorphosis with egg, larva, pupa, and adult stages. Larvae of some genera (e.g., Platydracus, Staphylinus) have been described; Staphylinus erythropterus has been reported to have two larval instars, a state unique within the tribe Staphylinini.

Several species exhibit specialized behaviors. Ant-mimicry (imperfect Batesian mimicry) has been observed in Naddia sp., mimicking ants of the genus Pseudoneoponera. Some species are synanthropic and associated with human-disturbed habitats. Males of some species have dilated front tarsi.

Predatory role in soil and litter communities. As part of the larger Staphylinidae family, members likely contribute to regulation of invertebrate populations in their habitats. Specific ecosystem functions vary by species and habitat.

Some introduced species (e.g., Tasgius winkleri) have expanded their ranges in North America and are considered synanthropic. Members are generally beneficial predators and not considered pests. One species has been reported to secrete defensive substances when confined.

• Other subtribes of StaphylininiDifferentiated by combinations of morphological characters including genitalic structures, body proportions, and antennal features; requires detailed examination for definitive identification
• PaederinaeAnother subfamily of Staphylinidae with predatory members; distinguished by different mouthpart morphology and other structural features

• rove beetles
• Staphylinidae
• Staphylinini
• Coleoptera
• predatory beetles
• ant-mimicry
• termitophily
• introduced species
• soil fauna
• litter fauna

• BugGuide
• iNaturalist taxon
• Catalogue of Life
• Bug Eric: A "New" Beetle in Colorado
• Bug Eric: May 2015
• New records and distributional data on the subtribe Staphylinina (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) from Portugal
• New distributional records of Staphylinina in Taiwan, including a new species of Miobdelus Sharp (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae: Staphylinini)
• Review of the genera Agelosus Sharp, 1889, Apostenolinus Bernhauer, 1934 and Apecholinus Bernhauer, 1933 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylinini: Staphylinina)
• Comparative larval morphology of Platydracus and Staphylinus (Staphylinidae: Staphylinini: Staphylinina) with notes on their biology and redescription of the pupa of Staphylinus
• A natural history note on the Pseudoneoponera ant-mimicking behaviour of Naddia sp. (Staphylinidae: Staphylininae: Staphylinini: Staphylinina), from Kalyani University campus, Kalyani, Nadia, West Bengal, India.
• The genus Platydracus Thomson in Hainan, South China (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Staphylininae).
• Review of Chinese species of the genus Thoracostrongylus Bernhauer, 1915 (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Staphylininae).
• Mouthpart Ecomorphology and Predatory Behaviour in Selected Rove Beetles of the "Staphylinine Group" (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae, Paederinae).
• A Taxonomic Study on the Genus Naddia from China (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Staphylininae) with Descriptions of Two New Species.