Rove-beetle
Guides
Thoracophorus brevicristatus
Thoracophorus brevicristatus is an unmargined rove beetle described by Horn in 1871. The species exhibits a notably broad geographic distribution spanning multiple continents, including North America, Central America, the Caribbean, Africa, and Southern Asia. This wide range suggests either strong dispersal capabilities or cryptic species boundaries requiring further study.
Thoracophorus costalis
furrowed rove beetle
Thoracophorus costalis is a species of unmargined rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae. It occurs widely across North America and in Central America. The species has been used as a case study in collection bias research, highlighting how specimen collection patterns can affect perceived distribution and habitat modeling accuracy. Limited detailed natural history information is available for this species.
Thyreocephalus arizonicus
Thyreocephalus arizonicus is a rove beetle (Staphylinidae: Xantholinini) described by Smetana in 1982 from Arizona, USA. It belongs to the 'puncticeps' species group, a cluster of five closely related Mexican species characterized by shared morphological features. The species was first recorded from Mexico in 2016, with specimens documented from Estado de México, Jalisco, and Morelos. As with other members of its genus, it is a small to medium-sized staphylinid beetle with the characteristic short elytra exposing most of the abdomen.
Tmesiphorus
Tmesiphorus is a genus of myrmecophilous (ant-loving) rove beetles in the family Staphylinidae. The genus was established by LeConte in 1849 and currently contains approximately ten described species distributed across North America and Asia. Members of this genus are classified within the subfamily Pselaphinae, a diverse group of small beetles often associated with social insects.
Tmesiphorus costalis
Tmesiphorus costalis is a species of ant-loving beetle in the family Staphylinidae, described by J.L. LeConte in 1849. It belongs to the subfamily Pselaphinae, a group of small rove beetles known for their myrmecophilous associations. The species has been recorded across eastern and central North America.
Toxidium
Toxidium is a genus of rove beetles in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Scaphidiinae. The genus was established by John Lawrence LeConte in 1860. Recent taxonomic work has expanded the genus with multiple new species described in 2025, primarily from Brazil. Members of this genus belong to the tribe Scaphisomatini, a group of small beetles often associated with fungal habitats.
Trichiusa hirsuta
Trichiusa hirsuta is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Aleocharinae, described by Casey in 1906. The genus Trichiusa belongs to the tribe Athetini, a diverse group of small to minute rove beetles. Like other aleocharines, this species likely inhabits leaf litter, soil, or decaying organic matter in forested environments. The specific epithet 'hirsuta' refers to a hairy or bristly appearance, a characteristic feature of this species.
Trichonyx
ant-loving beetles
Trichonyx is a genus of minute ant-loving beetles in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Pselaphinae. The genus contains at least two described species: Trichonyx antennatus (Raffray, 1877) and Trichonyx sulcicollis (Reichenbach, 1816). Members of this genus are myrmecophilous, living in association with ants. These beetles are small, compact, and exhibit reduced wing structures typical of the Pselaphinae.
Trichonyx sulcicollis
Trichonyx sulcicollis is a small rove beetle (family Staphylinidae, subfamily Pselaphinae) originally described from Europe in 1816. It belongs to the tribe Trichonychini within the diverse ant-loving beetle group (Pselaphinae). The species has been recorded across much of Europe and has been introduced to the northeastern United States (New Hampshire, New York). As a pselaphine rove beetle, it is likely associated with leaf litter and soil habitats, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Trichophya tarsalis
Trichophya tarsalis is a rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Trichophyinae. The species was originally described as Eumitocerus tarsalis by Casey in 1886. It is recorded from California and Oregon in the western United States. As a member of Staphylinidae, it shares the family's characteristic shortened elytra that expose most of the abdomen. Very few observations of this species exist in public databases.
Trigonodemus
Trigonodemus is a genus of rove beetles (Staphylinidae) in the subfamily Omaliinae, tribe Anthophagini. It was established by John Lawrence LeConte in 1863. The genus is rarely encountered, with minimal published documentation and few observational records.
Trigonodemus fasciatus
Trigonodemus fasciatus is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Omaliinae. It was described by Leech in 1939. The species is known from limited distributional records in western North America, specifically British Columbia, Canada and Oregon, USA. As a member of the Omaliinae, it likely inhabits moist, decaying organic matter environments typical of this subfamily, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Trigonurus crotchii
Trigonurus crotchii is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Trigonurinae. It is one of the few described species in the genus Trigonurus, a group characterized by distinctive morphological features that set them apart from other staphylinid lineages. The species was described by J. L. LeConte in 1874 and is known from western North America.
Trigonurus edwardsi
Trigonurus edwardsi is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, described by Sharp in 1875. It belongs to the subfamily Trigonurinae, a small and distinctive group within the Staphylinidae. The species is known from western North America, with records from California and possibly Oregon. Like other members of its genus, it is associated with decaying wood and fungal habitats.
Trimioplectus obsoletus
Trimioplectus obsoletus is a species of ant-loving beetle in the family Staphylinidae, first described by Emil Brendel in 1890. It belongs to the subfamily Pselaphinae, a diverse group of small rove beetles commonly associated with ants and termites. The species occurs in North America, with records from Canada and the eastern and midwestern United States.
Trimium
ant-loving beetles
Trimium is a genus of myrmecophilous rove beetles in the subfamily Pselaphinae, containing over 20 described species. These small beetles are specialized associates of ant colonies, living as inquilines within ant nests. The genus is placed in the tribe Trichonychini and is distributed across parts of northern Europe.
Trimium brevicorne
Trimium brevicorne is a small rove beetle in the subfamily Pselaphinae, commonly known as ant-loving beetles. The species occurs across Europe, Northern Asia (excluding China), and has been introduced to North America. It belongs to a group of beetles that are typically found in association with ant colonies.
Tychobythinus
Tychobythinus is a genus of small rove beetles in the subfamily Pselaphinae (Staphylinidae). The genus is widely distributed across the Palearctic region, including North Africa, southern and Central Europe, the Caucasus, Japan, far eastern Russia, and southeastern China. Several species exhibit troglobitic adaptations, including reduced pigmentation, microphthalmia, winglessness, and elongated appendages. The genus contains at least 44 species and subspecies in Italy alone, with ongoing taxonomic revisions clarifying species boundaries and synonymies.
Tychus
Tychus is a genus of rove beetles (Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae) established by Leach in 1817. Species occur in Europe, North America, and North Africa. The genus belongs to the tribe Tychini within the diverse Pselaphinae subfamily, which are characterized by small body size and often specialized ecological associations. Taxonomic studies have focused on species group delineation, particularly the T. algericus group in North Africa.
Tympanophorus puncticollis
Tympanophorus puncticollis is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, originally described by Erichson in 1840 under the basionym Euryporus puncticollis. It belongs to the subfamily Staphylininae and tribe Staphylinini. The species has a broad distribution across North America, with records from Canada and the United States extending into Mexico.
Tyrini
Tyrini is a tribe of rove beetles within the subfamily Pselaphinae, established by Reitter in 1882. The tribe comprises four subtribes: Centrophthalmina, Janusculina, Somatipionina, and Tyrina. Members of this tribe are small, compact beetles adapted to cryptic habitats such as leaf litter and soil.
Tyrus
Tyrus is a genus of ant-loving beetles in the family Staphylinidae, first described by Aubé in 1833. These small rove beetles are myrmecophiles, living in association with ant colonies. The genus is primarily recorded from northern Europe, with documented occurrences in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.
Tyrus corticinus
Bark Ant-loving Rove Beetle
Tyrus corticinus is a small rove beetle in the subfamily Pselaphinae, commonly known as ant-loving beetles. The species inhabits bark and decaying wood in western North America. It is one of few documented members of its genus in the region. Records remain sparse, with limited observational data available.
Unamis
Unamis is a genus of rove beetles in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Omaliinae, containing approximately seven described species. The genus is native to western North America, with species distributed across British Columbia, California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. It was established by Casey in 1893.
Valda frontalis
Valda frontalis is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Pselaphinae. It was described by Thomas L. Casey in 1893 and belongs to the tribe Valdini. The species is known from the western United States, specifically California and Washington. As a member of the Pselaphinae, it is part of a diverse group of small beetles often associated with leaf litter and soil habitats.
Vicelva
Vicelva is an extant genus of rove beetles (Staphylinidae: Phloeocharinae) described in 1973. A fossil species, V. rasilis, from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber provides the earliest known record of the genus. Extant species occur in western North America, the Russian Far East, and Kazakhstan. The biology of living species remains poorly documented.
Vicelva vandykei
Vicelva vandykei is a small rove beetle (Staphylinidae) described by Hatch in 1957. The species is known from limited specimens and observations across a broad circumpolar distribution spanning northwestern North America and the Russian Far East. Records indicate presence in British Columbia, Yukon, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and the Magadan area of Russia. As a member of the subfamily Phloeocharinae, it is associated with forest floor habitats and decaying organic matter.
Xantholinus linearis
Linear Rove Beetle
Xantholinus linearis is a rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, characterized by an elongated, slender body form typical of the genus. The species was described by Blatchley in 1910. As a member of the tribe Xantholinini, it belongs to a group of rove beetles often associated with decaying organic matter and soil habitats. The specific epithet 'linearis' refers to the linear, slender body shape.
Xantholinus longiventris
Long-bellied Rove Beetle
Xantholinus longiventris is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, first described by Heer in 1839. It is known from the Azores archipelago, with records from five islands: Faial, Flores, Graciosa, Pico, and São Jorge. The species is recognized by iNaturalist as the Long-bellied Rove Beetle and has accumulated over 200 observations, suggesting it is relatively well-documented for an island endemic. Its taxonomic status shows some discrepancy between sources, with Catalogue of Life listing it as a synonym while GBIF treats it as accepted.
Xanthopygus
Xanthopygus is a genus of rove beetles (Staphylinidae: Staphylininae) established by Kraatz in 1857. The genus belongs to the subtribe Xanthopygina and is distributed across Mexico, Central America, the West Indies, and South America. A 2022 taxonomic revision by Chatzimanolis updated distributional records, resolved nomenclatural issues including synonymies and type designations, and provided an illustrated identification key for all species. The genus is characterized by distinctive morphological features typical of the Xanthopygina, though specific diagnostic traits vary among species.
Xanthopygus xanthopygus
Xanthopygus xanthopygus is a species of rove beetle (Staphylinidae) in the tribe Xanthopygina. Originally described as Staphylinus xanthopygus by Nordmann in 1837, the species has undergone taxonomic revision with a lectotype designated in 2021. The species occurs in the Americas from the southwestern United States through Central America to South America. As a member of the large rove beetle family, it belongs to a group characterized by shortened elytra and flexible abdomens.
Xenicopoda helenae
Xenicopoda helenae is a species of rove beetle (Staphylinidae) described from California in 1971. It belongs to the subfamily Omaliinae, a group of rove beetles often associated with decaying plant matter and fungal habitats. The species is known from limited collection records in California.
Xenodusa cava
Xenodusa cava is a small rove beetle (Staphylinidae) distributed across eastern and central North America. It is obligately myrmecophilous, with larvae developing inside ant colonies where they exhibit specialized begging behaviors and feed on ant brood. This species represents a classic example of inquiline symbiosis in beetles.
Xenodusa montana
Xenodusa montana is a rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Aleocharinae. It is a myrmecophilous species, meaning it lives in association with ants. The species is known from western North America.
Xestolinus abdominalis
Xestolinus abdominalis is a rove beetle species in the family Staphylinidae, described by Thomas L. Casey in 1906. It belongs to the tribe Xantholinini within the subfamily Staphylininae. The species has a broad transcontinental distribution across northern North America, with records spanning from Alaska and western Canada to the northeastern United States and south to Arizona and Colorado. As with most rove beetles, it is likely associated with soil and decaying organic matter habitats, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Xesturida
Xesturida is a genus of rove beetles established by Casey in 1906, placed in the family Staphylinidae. The genus contains at least one described species, X. laevis. Members belong to the tribe Lomechusini within the subfamily Aleocharinae, a group known for diverse ecological associations including myrmecophily.
Zyras
Zyras is a genus of rove beetles (Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae: Lomechusini) comprising over 100 described species distributed primarily across the Palaearctic and Oriental regions. Species within this genus exhibit diverse ecological associations, including myrmecophilous and termitophilous lifestyles. The genus is taxonomically complex, with ongoing revisions addressing synonymies and species boundaries. Several species possess specialized tergal glands that produce chemical secretions facilitating integration into host colonies.
Zyras obliquus
Zyras obliquus is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae. It measures 4.0–6.5 mm in length and is distributed transcontinentally across North America from the northern United States to the southern half of Canada. Adults have been collected in both coniferous and deciduous forests. The species has been confused with the closely related Palearctic species Zyras haworthi.