Rove-beetle
Guides
Achenomorphus corticinus
Achenomorphus corticinus is a small rove beetle (Staphylinidae) in the subfamily Paederinae. It is broadly distributed across eastern North America, with records spanning from southeastern Canada through the eastern and midwestern United States. The species inhabits forested environments and has been collected in association with bark and decaying wood. It is one of the more frequently encountered species in its genus, with over 450 observations documented on iNaturalist.
Acidota crenata
Crenate Ocellate Rove Beetle
Acidota crenata is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Omaliinae. The species has a Holarctic distribution, occurring across northern and central Europe, extending eastward through Russia to East Asia, and present in North America including Canada and the United States. It is one of approximately 15 species in the genus Acidota, which are characterized by distinctive ocellate (eye-spotted) patterns on the elytra. The specific epithet 'crenata' refers to the crenate (scalloped or notched) margins characteristic of this species.
Acrotona austiniana
Acrotona austiniana is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, described by Casey in 1910. It is native to North America, with confirmed records from Texas. As a member of one of the largest beetle families, it contributes to the documented diversity of Staphylinidae in the region.
Acruliopsis tumidula
Acruliopsis tumidula is a small rove beetle (Staphylinidae: Omaliinae) described from the Pacific Northwest of North America. It is one of few species in the genus Acruliopsis, a group of omaliine rove beetles characterized by compact body form and association with forest floor habitats. The species has been recorded from coastal and montane regions of British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and Alaska.
Actiastes desertorum
Actiastes desertorum is a species of ant-loving beetle (subfamily Pselaphinae) in the family Staphylinidae, described from desert regions of the southwestern United States and Mexico. The species epithet 'desertorum' reflects its arid habitat association. Like other pselaphines, it is likely myrmecophilous, living in close association with ant colonies.
Actiastes fundatum
Actiastes fundatum is a species of ant-loving beetle in the family Staphylinidae, described by Grigarick & Schuster in 1971. It belongs to the subfamily Pselaphinae, a group of small rove beetles known for their myrmecophilous associations. The species is documented from North America. Very few observations exist, with only two records in iNaturalist.
Actiastes globiferum
ant-loving beetle
Actiastes globiferum is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, first described by LeConte in 1849. It belongs to a group commonly referred to as 'ant-loving beetles,' which are known for their associations with ant colonies. The species is documented from North America, though detailed biological information remains limited.
Actium
Actium is a genus of rove beetles (Staphylinidae) in the subfamily Pselaphinae, first described by Casey in 1886. It belongs to the tribe Trichonychini, a group of small beetles often associated with leaf litter and soil habitats. The genus is part of the diverse Pselaphinae, which are characterized by reduced wing venation and compact body forms adapted for life in confined spaces.
Acylophorus caseyi
Casey's Rove Beetle
Acylophorus caseyi is a species of rove beetle (family Staphylinidae) described by Leng in 1920. It belongs to the genus Acylophorus, a group of relatively large rove beetles within the tribe Staphylinini. The species is known from eastern North America, with records spanning from Canada to the southeastern United States. Like other members of its genus, it is likely associated with forest floor habitats and decaying organic matter.
Acylophorus pratensis
Acylophorus pratensis is a rove beetle species in the family Staphylinidae, first described by LeConte in 1863. The species is currently recognized as a synonym of Amacylophorus pratensis. It has been documented in limited observations across parts of Canada and the northeastern and midwestern United States.
Acylophorus pronus
Stooping Rove Beetle
Acylophorus pronus is a rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, commonly known as the Stooping Rove Beetle. The species was described by Erichson in 1840 and is widely distributed across northern North America. As a member of the large genus Acylophorus, it inhabits moist terrestrial environments where it functions as a generalist predator or scavenger.
Adranes lecontei
LeConte's Ant-loving Rove Beetle
Adranes lecontei is a species of ant-loving rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae. It is an obligate myrmecophile, meaning it lives in association with ants. The species is known from North America, with records from Canada and the United States.
Adranes taylori
Taylor's Ant-loving Rove Beetle
Adranes taylori is a species of myrmecophilous rove beetle in the tribe Clavigerini, described by Wickham in 1901. Members of this genus are obligate associates of ants, possessing specialized morphological adaptations for life within ant colonies. The species occurs in western North America from British Columbia to California.
Agaricomorpha
Agaricomorpha is a genus of rove beetles in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Aleocharinae. It was established by Ashe in 1984 and belongs to the tribe Homalotini and subtribe Gyrophaenina. Members of this subtribe are generally associated with fungi, particularly fleshy mushrooms. The genus is rarely encountered and poorly documented in scientific literature.
Aleochara
Aleochara is a genus of rove beetles (Staphylinidae) distinguished by its parasitoid larval life history. Adults are predatory, feeding on eggs, larvae, and puparia of scatophagous and necrophagous Diptera. Larvae are ectoparasitoids that develop inside fly puparia, killing the host. The genus contains at least 150 and possibly more than 400 species across 16 subgenera, with a worldwide distribution except Antarctica. Several species, notably Aleochara bilineata, are significant biological control agents of agricultural pest flies.
Aleochara bimaculata
Two-spotted Aleochara
Aleochara bimaculata is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae. It belongs to the large and diverse subfamily Aleocharinae, which contains thousands of species worldwide. The species name "bimaculata" refers to two spots, likely describing a distinctive marking on the elytra. As with many Aleochara species, it is probably associated with decaying organic matter and may have ecological importance in nutrient cycling.
Aleochara lanuginosa
Woolly Minute Rove Beetle
Aleochara lanuginosa is a rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, characterized by its minute size and distinctive woolly pubescence. The species is native to the Palearctic region but has been introduced to North America, where it is now established in Canada and the northern United States. It belongs to the subgenus Xenochara, a group of Aleochara species with specialized ecological associations.
Aleochara lata
Large Minute Rove Beetle
Aleochara lata is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae. It belongs to the subgenus Aleochara Gravenhorst, a group of parasitoid rove beetles. The species is native to the Palearctic region and has been introduced to North America.
Aleochara littoralis
Aleochara littoralis is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, first described by Wollaston in 1864. The species is currently treated as a synonym of Aleochara obscurella in some taxonomic databases, though this status appears inconsistent across sources. It has been recorded from Europe, Morocco, and the Canary Islands.
Aleochara lucifuga
Aleochara lucifuga is a small rove beetle in the subfamily Aleocharinae, characterized by the abbreviated elytra typical of Staphylinidae. The species was described by Casey in 1893 and is documented from multiple eastern and central U.S. states. It belongs to a large genus of predatory rove beetles, though specific natural history details for this species remain poorly documented.
Aleochara lustrica
Aleochara lustrica is a rove beetle (Staphylinidae) with a dual life history: adults are predatory on fly larvae, while larvae are ectoparasitoids of cyclorrhaphan fly pupae. The species has been documented across the Americas from Canada to southern Brazil, with recent records extending its known range. It has confirmed associations with sarcophagid flies under laboratory conditions and plays a role in regulating populations of necrophagous Diptera of medical, veterinary, and forensic importance.
Aleochara pacifica
Aleochara pacifica is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae. It is distributed along the Pacific coast of North America from British Columbia through California and Oregon to Washington, with records extending into Mexico. The species was originally described as Polistoma pacifica by Casey in 1893. Like other members of the genus Aleochara, it is likely associated with decaying organic matter and may have predatory or parasitoid relationships with fly puparia, though specific ecological studies for this species are limited.
Aleochara speculicollis
Shiny Minute Rove Beetle
Aleochara speculicollis is a small rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, described by Bernhauer in 1901. The species is characterized by a notably shiny, reflective pronotum that contributes to its common name. It occurs across a broad transcontinental range from Canada through the United States to Mexico. Like other members of the genus Aleochara, it is presumed to be associated with decaying organic matter and carrion habitats.
Aleochara sulcicollis
A rove beetle species in the family Staphylinidae with a documented parasitoid life history involving kelp flies. Larvae develop as parasitoids of intertidal kelp flies, specifically Fucellia rufitibia, with adults likely active in coastal habitats where macroalgae and host flies occur. The species has been recorded across a broad geographic range spanning North, Central, and South America.
Aleochara taeniata
Aleochara taeniata is a rove beetle (Staphylinidae) in the subfamily Aleocharinae. It has been documented as a parasite of the house fly, Musca domestica, with larvae developing within fly puparia. The species occurs across a broad geographic range in the Americas, from the southwestern United States through Central America and into South America, with records from the Caribbean as well.
Aleochara thoracica
Aleochara thoracica is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, tribe Falagriini. The species was described by Stephens in 1832 and is currently accepted under this name, though it has been classified under the genus Falagrioma in some treatments. It occurs in northeastern North America, with records from Canada and the United States. Very little is known about its biology or ecology.
Aleochara tristis
A small rove beetle in the subfamily Aleocharinae, notable for the extreme morphological and behavioral specialization of its male reproductive anatomy. Males possess an intromittant organ disproportionately long relative to body size and have evolved a unique post-copulatory behavior termed 'shouldering' to retract this structure. The species has a broad distribution across the Palearctic and has been introduced to North America.
Aleodorus bilobatus
Two-lobed Minute Rove Beetle
Aleodorus bilobatus is a small rove beetle (Staphylinidae) native to eastern North America. Adults measure 2.8–4.1 mm and exhibit variable coloration from light brown to black. The species is associated with wet riparian habitats, particularly vegetation along rivers and ditches. It is classified in the tribe Falagriini within the subfamily Aleocharinae.
Aleodorus intricatus
Intricate Minute Rove Beetle
Aleodorus intricatus is a minute rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Aleocharinae, tribe Falagriini. It measures 3.1–4.1 mm and is uniformly light to dark brownish-testaceous in color. The species is distributed in western North America from the southwestern United States to southern Canada.
Aloconota neocambrica
Variable Minute Rove Beetle
Aloconota neocambrica is a minute rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Aleocharinae, described from eastern Canada in 2011. It belongs to the tribe Geostibini, a group of small aleocharines associated with forest floor habitats. The species epithet "neocambrica" references New Brunswick, indicating the type locality region. As a recently described species, detailed biological information remains limited.
Amarochara duryi
Amarochara duryi is a species of rove beetle (family Staphylinidae) described by Casey in 1906. It belongs to the large subfamily Aleocharinae, one of the most diverse groups within Staphylinidae. The species is known from scattered records across northeastern North America, with documented occurrences in Canada (New Brunswick, Quebec) and the United States (Iowa, Illinois, Massachusetts). Like other aleocharine rove beetles, it is likely associated with decaying organic matter and moist microhabitats, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Amarochara fenyesi
Fenyes's Minute Rove Beetle
A small rove beetle in the genus Amarochara, described by Blatchley in 1910. It is one of 25 valid species recognized in the Holarctic revision of the genus. The species belongs to a group characterized by specific morphological traits and shares the genus-wide trait of apparently utilizing subterranean habitats for reproduction and hibernation.
Amarochara forticornis
Amarochara forticornis is a rove beetle species in the tribe Oxypodini, originally described by Lacordaire in 1835. It is one of 25 valid species recognized in the Holarctic revision of the genus Amarochara. The species has undergone taxonomic clarification, with previous synonymies resolved. It is assigned to one of five species groups established for Holarctic representatives of the genus.
Amarochara inquilina
Amarochara inquilina is a rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, originally described as Nasirema inquilina by Casey in 1906. A lectotype was designated for this species in a 2002 revision of Holarctic Amarochara. The species is known from northeastern Canada (New Brunswick) and Iowa, USA. Like other Holarctic members of its genus, it is believed to have a univoltine life cycle with spring-summer reproduction.
Amblopusa
Amblopusa is a genus of intertidal aleocharine rove beetles in the family Staphylinidae, established by Casey in 1893. Members of this genus inhabit marine intertidal zones along Pacific coastlines. The genus includes at least two recognized species: A. brevipes Casey and A. vancouverensis Yoo & Ahn, described from Vancouver Island, Canada.
Amphichroum maculatum
Amphichroum maculatum is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Omaliinae. It is a small beetle found in western North America, with records from British Columbia south through Washington, Oregon, and California, and east to Nevada. The specific epithet "maculatum" (spotted) suggests a patterned appearance, though detailed morphological descriptions are limited in available sources. As a member of the Omaliinae, it likely inhabits moist terrestrial environments where these beetles are commonly encountered.
Anacyptus testaceus
Anacyptus testaceus is a small rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Aleocharinae. It belongs to the tribe Mesoporini, a group of aleocharines characterized by particular morphological features of the mouthparts and tarsal structure. The species was described by J.L. LeConte in 1863 and occurs across a broad geographic range in North America, the Caribbean, and Mexico.
Anchylarthron caviceps
Anchylarthron caviceps is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Pselaphinae. It was described by Thomas Lincoln Casey Jr. in 1897. The species belongs to the tribe Brachyglutini within the supertribe Goniaceritae. It is known from the southeastern United States.
Anomognathus cuspidatus
Anomognathus cuspidatus is a small rove beetle (family Staphylinidae) in the subfamily Aleocharinae. It is native to Europe and parts of Asia, with introduced populations established in eastern North America including Canada and the northeastern United States. The species belongs to the tribe Homalotini, a group of aleocharine rove beetles often associated with decaying organic matter and fungal habitats.
Anotylus insecatus
Anotylus insecatus is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae. It is native to Europe but has been introduced to North America, with established populations in Canada and the United States. The species was first described by Gravenhorst in 1806 under the basionym Oxytelus insecatus. It belongs to the subfamily Oxytelinae, a group of small to medium-sized rove beetles often associated with decaying organic matter.
Anotylus insignitus
Anotylus insignitus is a species of spiny-legged rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae. It has an exceptionally broad global distribution spanning six continents, including native ranges in the Neotropics and Caribbean, and introduced populations in North America, Europe, and Oceania. The species belongs to the tribe Oxytelini, a group characterized by fossorial (burrowing) habits and association with decaying organic matter.
Anotylus rugosus
Anotylus rugosus is a spiny-legged rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae with a broad intercontinental distribution spanning Africa, Australia, Europe, Northern Asia, and North America. It is strongly associated with moist, decomposing organic matter in wetland margins, salt marshes, and coastal habitats. The species has been introduced to parts of Canada, the United States, and New Zealand. Adults fly in warm weather, particularly in afternoon and evening hours.
Anthobium
Anthobium is a genus of rove beetles (Staphylinidae: Omaliinae: Anthophagini) established by William Elford Leach in 1819. The genus has undergone extensive taxonomic revision, with multiple former genera (Deliphrum, Lathrimaeum, Eudeliphrum, Arpediopsis) synonymized under Anthobium. Species are organized into numerous species groups including atrocephalum, fusculum, gracilipalpe, nigrum, morchella, reflexum, consanguineum, crassum, tectum, algidum, morosum, fortepunctatum, and convexior groups. The genus is distributed across the entire Palaearctic region, with highest diversity in mountainous areas of China, the Himalayas, and Nepal.
Apalonia seticornis
Apalonia seticornis is a small rove beetle described by Casey in 1906. It belongs to the hyperdiverse subfamily Aleocharinae within Staphylinidae. The species has been recorded from scattered localities across the central and eastern United States.
Aplastus productus
Aplastus productus is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae. Information regarding this species is extremely limited in the provided source material. The genus Aplastus belongs to the large and diverse rove beetle family, whose members are characterized by shortened elytra that leave most of the abdomen exposed. No specific observations, habitat associations, or behavioral details for A. productus are documented in the available context.
Apocellus
Apocellus is a genus of spiny-legged rove beetles in the family Staphylinidae, containing approximately 11 described species. These beetles are characterized by their elongated bodies and relatively short elytra typical of rove beetles. The genus was established by Erichson in 1839 and occurs primarily in the Americas, with records from North and South America.
Apocellus analis
spiny-legged rove beetle
Apocellus analis is a spiny-legged rove beetle described by LeConte in 1877. It belongs to the subfamily Oxytelinae within the large rove beetle family Staphylinidae. The species has been documented in western North America and Mexico.
Apocellus sphaericollis
spiny-legged rove beetle
Apocellus sphaericollis is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Oxytelinae. It is one of the larger species in the genus Apocellus and has been documented across a broad geographic range spanning North and Central America. The species was first described by Thomas Say in 1831. Records indicate it occurs from southern Canada through the United States and into Mexico and Guatemala.
Aptopus gracilis
Aptopus gracilis is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, tribe Xantholinini. Members of this genus are characterized by their slender, elongated body form typical of many rove beetles. The species is distinguished from congeners by its gracile proportions and specific morphological details of the antennae and pronotum. Like other Xantholinini, it is likely associated with decaying organic matter and soil habitats, though specific ecological details for this species remain poorly documented in published literature.
Arianops gigantea
Arianops gigantea is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, described by Barr in 1974. It belongs to the subfamily Pselaphinae, a diverse group of small beetles often associated with leaf litter and soil habitats. The specific epithet "gigantea" suggests relatively large size compared to congeners, though absolute dimensions remain undocumented in available sources. The species is currently known from taxonomic catalogues with no verified observations in major biodiversity databases.