Rove-beetle
Guides
Rhexidius
ant-loving beetles
Rhexidius is a genus of small rove beetles (family Staphylinidae) containing approximately 10 described species. These beetles belong to the subfamily Pselaphinae, commonly known as ant-loving beetles due to their frequent association with ant colonies. The genus was established by Casey in 1887, with most species described by Schuster & Grigarick in 1962. Species in this genus are characterized by various surface sculpturing patterns, including granulate, crenate, and hispid textures.
Rhexius schmitti
Rhexius schmitti is a small ant-associated rove beetle in the subfamily Pselaphinae, first described by Brendel in 1893. The species belongs to the tribe Trogastrini and is distributed across the eastern and central United States. Like other members of its genus, it exhibits myrmecophilous (ant-loving) behavior and is typically found in decaying organic matter.
Rhexius substriatus
Rhexius substriatus is a minute rove beetle (Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae) described by LeConte in 1878. It belongs to the ant-associated tribe Trogastrini, though specific myrmecophilous behaviors for this species remain undocumented. The species is recorded from the eastern and southeastern United States.
Rugilus angularis
Rugilus angularis is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Paederinae. It is a small, ground-dwelling beetle with a transcontinental distribution across North America, ranging from Canada through the United States to Mexico. The species was first described by Wilhelm Ferdinand Erichson in 1840. Like other members of the genus Rugilus, it is characterized by its compact body form and association with leaf litter and soil habitats.
Rugilus angustatus
Rugilus angustatus is a rove beetle (Staphylinidae) native to Europe and western Asia, with established introduced populations in eastern North America. It is a moderately sized species within the diverse genus Rugilus, characterized by its elongate body form typical of the family. The species has been documented across a broad Palearctic range and has been observed in North American localities since at least the mid-20th century.
Rugilus biarmatus
Rugilus biarmatus is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae. It is a small, elongate beetle with the characteristic short elytra that expose most of the abdomen typical of the family. The species was described by J.L. LeConte in 1880 and occurs in northeastern North America.
Rugilus rudis
Rugilus rudis is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, first described by J.L. LeConte in 1863. It belongs to the subfamily Paederinae and tribe Lathrobiini. The species is native to eastern North America, with documented occurrence records from the northeastern and mid-Atlantic United States. Like other members of the genus Rugilus, it is a small, ground-dwelling beetle likely associated with leaf litter and soil habitats.
Rugilus rufipes
red-legged rove beetle
Rugilus rufipes is a small rove beetle (Staphylinidae) measuring 5–7 mm, distinguished by its dark brown to black body with contrasting red legs and antennae. The species is native to Europe and western Asia, with introduced populations in eastern North America. It inhabits moist terrestrial environments with abundant organic matter and is predatory on small invertebrates.
Rybaxis
ant-loving beetles
Rybaxis is a genus of minute rove beetles in the subfamily Pselaphinae, commonly referred to as ant-loving beetles. The genus contains at least 20 described species. Members of this genus are myrmecophilous, living in association with ant colonies. They were first described by Saulcy in 1876.
Rybaxis conjuncta
Rybaxis conjuncta is a small rove beetle in the subfamily Pselaphinae, commonly referred to as ant-loving beetles. It occurs across eastern and western North America, with records spanning from British Columbia to the Atlantic provinces of Canada and throughout the northeastern and north-central United States. The species is rarely encountered, with few documented observations.
Sableta infulata
Sableta infulata is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Aleocharinae, described by Casey in 1910. It belongs to the tribe Athetini, a large group of small to medium-sized aleocharine rove beetles. The species is known from scattered records across the eastern and central United States.
Scalenarthrus
Scalenarthrus is a genus of rove beetles in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Pselaphinae. First described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1880, it belongs to the tribe Brachyglutini. Members of this genus are small, cryptic beetles characteristic of the ant-loving beetle group (Pselaphinae), which are primarily found in soil and leaf litter habitats.
Scaphidium
shining fungus beetles
Scaphidium is a genus of shining fungus beetles in the family Staphylinidae. Members are small beetles with compact, rounded bodies and short elytra that leave much of the abdomen exposed. The genus contains approximately 62 described species distributed across multiple continents.
Scaphisoma americanum
Scaphisoma americanum is a small rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Scaphidiinae. The species was described by Löbl in 1987 and is known from scattered records across the eastern and central United States. Members of this genus are typically associated with fungal habitats. Very little specific biological information has been published for this particular species.
Scaphisoma convexum
Scaphisoma convexum is a species of rove beetle in the subfamily Scaphidiinae, characterized by its small, convex body form that distinguishes it from the typically more elongate staphylinids. The species was described by Thomas Say in 1825 and represents one of the more widely distributed members of its genus in North America. Like other members of Scaphidiinae, it is associated with fungal habitats. The species shows substantial geographic range across eastern and central North America with scattered western records.
Sceptobius
Sceptobius is a genus of rove beetles (Staphylinidae) established by Sharp in 1883. It contains at least three described species: S. dispar, S. lativentris, and S. schmitti. The genus belongs to the tribe Sceptobiini within the subfamily Aleocharinae. Little is documented about the biology of these beetles.
Sceptobius lativentris
Sceptobius lativentris is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, first described by Fenyes in 1909. It belongs to the tribe Sceptobiini within the subfamily Aleocharinae. The species has been recorded from North America and Central America, with specific documentation from California, USA.
Sceptobius schmitti
Sceptobius schmitti is a small rove beetle in the subfamily Aleocharinae, tribe Sceptobiini. The genus Sceptobius is known for its myrmecophilous associations—species live in ant colonies. This species has been recorded from the southwestern United States and Mexico.
Sebaga ocampi
Sebaga ocampi is a small rove beetle (family Staphylinidae) described by Orlando Park in 1945. It belongs to the subfamily Pselaphinae, a diverse group of minute beetles often associated with leaf litter and soil habitats. The species is known from limited records in the south-central United States and Mexico.
Seeversiella globicollis
A small rove beetle (Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae) distributed from southern Canada through the United States to Honduras. Originally described as Atheta globicollis in 1907, the species was transferred to Seeversiella in a 2006 revision that synonymized S. bispinosa with it. The genus Seeversiella is primarily Nearctic and Neotropical in distribution. No ecological or biological studies of this species have been published.
Sepedophilus
rove beetles
A genus of small rove beetles in the subfamily Tachyporinae, containing approximately 30 species in North America north of Mexico. Species are distinguished by detailed examination of male and female eighth abdominal sternites and tergites, male genitalia, and other morphological characters. The genus has been subject to extensive taxonomic revision due to historical confusion with related generic names including Conurus, Conosoma, and Conosomus.
Sepedophilus brachypterus
Sepedophilus brachypterus is a rove beetle described by Campbell in 1976. It belongs to the subfamily Tachyporinae, a group often associated with fungal fruiting bodies and decaying organic matter. The species is characterized by reduced wings (brachyptery), as indicated by its specific epithet. It is known from eastern North America with a range extending from Canada through the eastern and central United States.
Sepedophilus crassus
Sepedophilus crassus is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Tachyporinae. The species was described by Gravenhorst in 1802 and is widely distributed across eastern North America, ranging from Canada to the southern United States. As a member of the genus Sepedophilus, it belongs to a group of rove beetles commonly associated with fungal fruiting bodies and decaying organic matter.
Sepedophilus frosti
Sepedophilus frosti is a rove beetle (Staphylinidae: Tachyporinae) described in 1976 from eastern North America. It is one of thirteen new species described in a revision of the genus Sepedophilus for America north of Mexico. The species belongs to a genus of small, often overlooked beetles associated with decaying organic matter and fungal habitats.
Sepedophilus littoreus
Sepedophilus littoreus is a rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, originally described from the Palearctic region by Linnaeus in 1758. The species has been introduced to North America, where it is now established across much of Canada and the northeastern and midwestern United States. Historical North American names knoxii and carissimus were synonymized with S. littoreus in a 1976 revision. It belongs to the genus Sepedophilus, which comprises small, agile beetles commonly found in decaying plant matter.
Sepedophilus marshami
A small rove beetle in the subfamily Tachyporinae. Native to the Palearctic region, with documented introduction to eastern North America. First recorded in the Nearctic region from Canada (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec) and the United States (New Hampshire).
Sepedophilus opicus
Sepedophilus opicus is a rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Tachyporinae. The species was originally described as Tachyporus opicus by Say in 1832. A neotype was designated for this species in a 1976 revision by Campbell, which also clarified its taxonomic status by recognizing Sepedophilus cinctulus and Sepedophilus bisignatus as valid species previously synonymized with opicus and bipustulatus respectively. The species belongs to a genus of small, agile beetles commonly associated with moist, decaying organic matter.
Sepedophilus testaceus
Sepedophilus testaceus is a small rove beetle (Staphylinidae: Tachyporinae) originally described from Europe and now established in North America as an introduced species. The species has undergone taxonomic revision, with several previously described North American species (imbricatus, limuloides, elongatus) synonymized under this name. Larvae possess specialized morphological adaptations on the posterior abdomen that facilitate prey capture. Adults are associated with decaying organic matter and fungal habitats.
Sepedophilus velocipes
Sepedophilus velocipes is a species of rove beetle (Staphylinidae: Tachyporinae) described by Casey in 1895. The species name S. virginiae Casey, 1911 was synonymized with S. velocipes in a 1976 taxonomic revision of the genus. The species is assigned to a species group based on morphological examination of Nearctic and related faunas. Diagnostic characters include male and female eighth abdominal sternites and tergites and male genitalia.
Sepedophilus wickhami
Sepedophilus wickhami is a small rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Tachyporinae, described by Campbell in 1976 from northeastern North America. As one of thirteen new species described in a comprehensive revision of the genus Sepedophilus in America north of Mexico, it belongs to a diverse group of rove beetles characterized by their compact body form and association with decaying organic matter. The species is part of a genus containing thirty recognized species in the region, divided into twelve species groups based on morphological characters.
Siagonium stacesmithi
Siagonium stacesmithi is a rove beetle in the subfamily Piestinae, described by Hatch in 1957. The species is known from scattered records across northern North America, including western Canada, the Yukon, and parts of the western and northeastern United States. Like other members of Siagonium, it is a small, elongate beetle associated with forest floor habitats. It remains poorly known biologically, with only a handful of documented observations.
Silusa densa
Silusa densa is a rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Aleocharinae. Originally described from California in 1909, the species was later documented in Alberta, Canada, representing a significant range expansion and first Canadian record. As a member of the genus Silusa, it belongs to a group of small, often overlooked beetles that are part of the diverse rove beetle fauna of North America.
Silusida marginella
Silusida marginella is a small rove beetle (family Staphylinidae) in the subfamily Aleocharinae. First described by Casey in 1893 under the name Bolitochara marginella, this species is known from scattered records across eastern North America. Like other members of its tribe Homalotini, it is likely associated with decaying organic matter and fungal habitats. The genus Silusida is small and poorly documented in popular literature.
Sonoma isabellae
Sonoma isabellae is a small rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, specifically within the subfamily Pselaphinae. It is classified as an "ant-loving beetle," indicating a myrmecophilous lifestyle. The species was described by J. L. LeConte in 1852 and is known from California and broader North America. As a member of the tribe Faronitae, it belongs to a group of beetles that are typically small, compact, and associated with ant colonies.
Sonoma parviceps
Sonoma parviceps is a small rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, specifically within the ant-loving beetle subfamily Pselaphinae. The species was first described by Mäklin in 1852 under the name Euplectus parviceps. It is distributed across western North America, with records from Alaska through British Columbia and south to California. As a member of Pselaphinae, it is presumed to be associated with ant colonies, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Speleobama
Speleobama is a genus of rove beetles in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Pselaphinae. It was described by Orlando Park in 1951 and is the type genus of the tribe Speleobamini. Members of this genus are associated with cave habitats, as indicated by the genus name derived from 'speleo-' (cave) and 'bama' (a suffix used in related genera). The genus contains multiple described species found in North America.
Speleobama vana
Speleobama vana is a species of rove beetle (Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae) described by Orlando Park in 1951. The genus name Speleobama, combining Greek 'speleo' (cave) and 'bama' (step/walk), indicates an association with cave habitats. The species is known from Alabama, USA, and belongs to the tribe Speleobamini within the diverse Pselaphinae subfamily, which contains many small, cryptic beetles often associated with leaf litter, soil, and subterranean environments.
Stenichnus scutellaris
Stenichnus scutellaris is a small rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, native to Europe and parts of western Asia. The species has been introduced to North America, with established populations recorded in Ontario, Canada. As a member of the genus Stenichnus, it belongs to a group of minute beetles typically found in leaf litter and other decaying organic matter.
Stenistoderus rubripennis
Red-winged Rove Beetle
A medium-sized rove beetle (Staphylinidae) characterized by distinctive reddish-orange elytra that contrast with its darker head and pronotum. The species occurs across eastern and central North America, with records spanning from Ontario south to Texas and east to the Atlantic coast. Adults have been collected in diverse terrestrial habitats including deciduous forests, grasslands, and riparian areas. The specific epithet 'rubripennis' refers directly to the red-colored wing covers.
Stenus angustus
Stenus angustus is a rove beetle in the subfamily Steninae, known for their specialized adaptations for life near water. Members of the genus Stenus exhibit a range of water-gliding abilities, with some species capable of skimming across water surfaces using gland secretions that reduce surface tension. This species is documented from North America, with records from both Canada and the United States.
Stenus annularis
Stenus annularis is a species of rove beetle in the subfamily Steninae, described by Erichson in 1840. The genus Stenus is notable for its members' ability to glide on water surfaces using specialized gland secretions that reduce surface tension. Some species in this genus also employ a unique hunting mechanism involving the ejection of mouthparts using blood pressure to capture small invertebrate prey. Stenus annularis has a broad distribution across North America, with records from Canada and the United States.
Stenus clavicornis
Stenus clavicornis is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Steninae. Like other members of the genus Stenus, this species possesses the ability to glide on water surfaces using specialized gland secretions that reduce surface tension. The species has been recorded across a broad Palearctic distribution and has been introduced to parts of North America.
Stenus colon
Stenus colon is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, commonly referred to as a water skater due to its association with moist habitats. It was described by Thomas Say in 1831 and occurs across eastern and central North America. The species belongs to the large genus Stenus, which contains over 3,000 described species worldwide, many of which are semi-aquatic or inhabit wet environments.
Stenus comma
Stenus comma is a rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, notable for its highly specialized predatory behavior. The species employs a unique hunting mechanism using pygidial gland secretions to capture springtails (Collembola). It can eject a viscous, sticky secretion as a droplet on an extendable terminal filament to 'shoot' at prey, or apply the secretion directly during ambush. The beetle demonstrates flexible hunting strategies that adapt to different prey types and defensive capabilities. This species has a broad distribution across the Northern Hemisphere, including Europe, Asia, and North America.
Stenus croceatus
Stenus croceatus is a species of rove beetle in the subfamily Steninae, family Staphylinidae. The species was described by Casey in 1884 and occurs in eastern North America, with records from Canada and the United States. Like other members of the genus Stenus, it possesses specialized mouthparts adapted for predation. The species is part of a large and diverse genus containing over 3,000 described species worldwide.
Stenus erythropus
water skater
Stenus erythropus is a species of rove beetle in the subfamily Steninae, commonly referred to as a water skater. It was described by F. E. Melsheimer in 1844. The species occurs in North America across Canada and the northeastern and midwestern United States. Like other members of the genus Stenus, it possesses the ability to glide on water surfaces using specialized gland secretions that reduce surface tension.
Stenus femoratus
Stenus femoratus is a species of rove beetle in the subfamily Steninae, first described by Thomas Say in 1831. Like other members of the genus Stenus, it possesses specialized labial structures that can be everted using blood pressure to capture prey. The species is broadly distributed across eastern and central North America, with records from Canada and numerous U.S. states.
Stenus flavicornis
water skater
Stenus flavicornis is a species of rove beetle in the subfamily Steninae, commonly referred to as a water skater. It was described by Erichson in 1840 and is native to North America. Members of the genus Stenus are known for their ability to glide on water surfaces using specialized gland secretions that reduce surface tension. Some species in this genus are also notable for their unique prey-capture mechanism involving eversible mouthparts.
Stenus juno
Stenus juno is a species of predatory rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Steninae. It was first described by Paykull in 1789. The species has a broad Holarctic distribution, occurring across Europe, northern Asia, and North America. Like other members of the genus Stenus, it possesses specialized adaptations for capturing prey.
Stenus laccophilus
Stenus laccophilus is a rove beetle in the subfamily Steninae, first described by Casey in 1884. Members of this genus possess specialized hunting adaptations including the ability to eject mouthparts using blood pressure to capture prey. The species occurs across northern North America including Canada and the northern United States.