Rove-beetle
Guides
Geostiba
Geostiba is a genus of rove beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) in the subfamily Aleocharinae, tribe Geostibini. The genus contains over 250 described species distributed across Europe, Asia, North America, and Australia. Many species are placed in subgenera including Sibiota, Tropogastrosipalia, Sipalotricha, and Typhlusida. Species are predominantly found in temperate regions, with significant diversity in the Caucasus, Mediterranean, and Appalachian Mountains. Several species have been documented as predators of tick nymphs in soil ecosystems.
Gnathusa eva
Gnathusa eva is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, described by Fenyes in 1910. It belongs to the subfamily Aleocharinae and tribe Oxypodini. The species has been recorded from western North America, including the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Yukon Territory, as well as California in the United States.
Gymnusa grandiceps
Gymnusa grandiceps is a rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, first described by Casey in 1915. It is distributed across northern North America, with records from Canada and the northeastern United States. The species belongs to the tribe Gymnusini within the subfamily Aleocharinae.
Gyrohypnus
Gyrohypnus is a genus of rove beetles in the family Staphylinidae, described by William Elford Leach in 1819. The genus contains approximately 35 recognized species with a cosmopolitan distribution. Members belong to the tribe Xantholinini within the subfamily Staphylininae. These beetles are small to medium-sized predatory insects commonly found in soil and leaf litter habitats.
Gyrophaena affinis
Gyrophaena affinis is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae. It is native to Europe and has been recorded across much of the Northern Hemisphere including Asia and North America. The species belongs to a genus known for small body size and association with fungal fruiting bodies.
Gyrophaena fuscicollis
Gyrophaena fuscicollis is a small rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Aleocharinae. It belongs to the genus Gyrophaena, a group of mycophagous beetles commonly associated with fungi. The species was described by Casey in 1906 and is recorded from eastern North America.
Gyrophaena gilvicollis
Gyrophaena gilvicollis is a small rove beetle in the subfamily Aleocharinae, described by Casey in 1906. The species belongs to the Gyrophaena genus, a group of minute beetles associated with fungal habitats. Its distribution spans eastern North America, with records from Canada and the eastern United States.
Gyrophaena keeni
Gyrophaena keeni is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, described by Casey in 1911. It belongs to the subfamily Aleocharinae, a diverse group of small, often fungus-associated beetles. The species has a broad distribution across northern North America, with records spanning from Alaska and Yukon to the northeastern United States. Very few observations exist in citizen science databases, suggesting it may be genuinely uncommon or undercollected.
Gyrophaena meduxnekeagensis
Gyrophaena meduxnekeagensis is a small rove beetle (Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae) described from eastern Canada in 2009. As a member of the genus Gyrophaena, it is associated with fungal habitats, particularly polypore bracket fungi. The species is currently known from a limited number of records in New Brunswick, Ontario, and Quebec.
Gyrophaena nanoides
Gyrophaena nanoides is a small rove beetle described by Seevers in 1951. It belongs to the genus Gyrophaena, a group of aleocharine staphylinids characterized by their compact, often flattened bodies and association with fungal substrates. The species is documented from northeastern and north-central North America, with records spanning Canada and the eastern United States. Like other Gyrophaena species, it likely inhabits decaying fungi and organic matter, though specific ecological details remain limited.
Gyrophaena stroheckeri
Gyrophaena stroheckeri is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, described by Seevers in 1951. It belongs to the subfamily Aleocharinae and tribe Homalotini. The species has been recorded from scattered locations in eastern North America. Like other members of Gyrophaena, it is likely associated with fungal habitats, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Gyrophaena vitrina
Gyrophaena vitrina is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, described by Casey in 1906. It belongs to the tribe Homalotini, a group of small, often mycophagous aleocharines. The species has been recorded from eastern North America, with scattered observations across Canada and the United States. Like other Gyrophaena species, it is likely associated with fungal habitats, though specific biological details remain poorly documented.
Halobrecta algophila
Halobrecta algophila is a small rove beetle in the subfamily Aleocharinae, characterized by its reduced elytra typical of the family Staphylinidae. The species has a remarkably broad geographic distribution spanning multiple continents, including native ranges in Australia, Europe, North America, South America, and New Zealand, with introduced populations on Tristan da Cunha. Its specific epithet 'algophila' suggests an association with algae, though this relationship requires verification. The species was originally described as Atheta algophila by Fenyes in 1909 before transfer to Halobrecta.
Hamotus elongatus
Hamotus elongatus is a species of rove beetle (family Staphylinidae) first described by Brendel in 1890. The species belongs to a genus commonly referred to as 'ant-loving beetles' due to their association with ant colonies. Records indicate presence in the southwestern United States, specifically Arizona and New Mexico. Like other members of the genus Hamotus, this species is likely myrmecophilous, living in close association with ants, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Hapalaraea hamata
Hapalaraea hamata is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Omaliinae. The species was described by Fauvel in 1878. It belongs to the tribe Omaliini, a group of rove beetles typically associated with decaying organic matter and fungal habitats. The genus Hapalaraea is characterized by specific morphological features of the mouthparts and antennae.
Hapalaraea megarthroides
Hapalaraea megarthroides is a rove beetle in the subfamily Omaliinae, first described from the Pacific Northwest region. The species belongs to a genus characterized by compact body form and association with forest floor habitats. Records indicate it occurs in western North America from British Columbia to California.
Hemiquedius
Hemiquedius is a genus of rove beetles (Staphylinidae) established by Casey in 1915. It belongs to the tribe Staphylinini within the subfamily Staphylininae. The genus is characterized by morphological features that distinguish it from the related genus Quedius, particularly in the structure of the aedeagus and other male genital characters. Species within this genus are found in North America.
Hemiquedius infinitus
Hemiquedius infinitus is a rove beetle (Staphylinidae) described in 2017 from eastern North America. It belongs to a small genus of predatory beetles in the tribe Staphylinini. The species has been documented across a broad geographic range spanning southeastern Canada and the eastern and central United States.
Hesperolinus
Hesperolinus is a genus of rove beetles in the family Staphylinidae, tribe Xantholinini. It was established by Casey in 1906. The genus belongs to the diverse subfamily Staphylininae, one of the largest lineages within rove beetles. Members of this genus are poorly documented in modern literature and appear to be rarely collected.
Hesperolinus parcus
Hesperolinus parcus is a rove beetle (family Staphylinidae) in the tribe Xantholinini. It is distributed across western North America from the Pacific Coast to the Rocky Mountains. The species was described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1863. Like other members of its tribe, it is likely associated with decaying organic matter, though specific biological details remain poorly documented.
Hesperus stehri
Hesperus stehri is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, described by Moore in 1958. It belongs to the subtribe Philonthina within the tribe Staphylinini. The species has been documented across multiple states in the eastern and central United States. Like other members of the genus Hesperus, it is a predatory beetle, though specific ecological details for this species remain limited in the available literature.
Holoboreaphilus
Holoboreaphilus is a genus of rove beetles (Staphylinidae: Omaliinae) established by Campbell in 1978. The genus includes at least one species, Holoboreaphilus nordenskioeldi, which has been documented from both northeastern and northwestern North America with fossil occurrences in Late Pleistocene deposits. The genus belongs to the tribe Coryphiini within the subfamily Omaliinae.
Holoboreaphilus nordenskioldi
Holoboreaphilus nordenskioldi is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Omaliinae. It has a Holarctic distribution spanning northern regions of North America and Eurasia. The species was described by Mäklin in 1878 and is placed in the tribe Coryphiini. Like other members of this genus, it is associated with northern boreal and arctic-alpine habitats.
Holotrochus
Holotrochus is a genus of rove beetles (Staphylinidae) in the subfamily Osoriinae, established by Erichson in 1839. Members of this genus are small to minute beetles characterized by reduced or absent eyes, a trait common among Osoriinae that inhabit soil and leaf litter environments. The genus is distinguished within Osoriini by particular arrangements of pronotal and elytral setae and specific configurations of the mouthparts. Species are found in various regions but detailed biological information remains limited for most taxa.
Homaeotarsus badius
Homaeotarsus badius is a rove beetle (family Staphylinidae) described by Gravenhorst in 1802. It is recorded from eastern North America, with distribution records spanning Canada (Ontario, Quebec) and the eastern and central United States. As a member of the subfamily Paederinae, it belongs to a diverse group of predatory beetles commonly found in soil and leaf litter habitats.
Homaeotarsus floridanus
A rove beetle (family Staphylinidae) described by LeConte in 1878. The species epithet 'floridanus' indicates a primary association with Florida, though records extend to Maryland and New Jersey. As a member of subfamily Paederinae, it belongs to a diverse group of rove beetles characterized by relatively short elytra and flexible abdomens.
Hylota ochracea
Hylota ochracea is a rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Aleocharinae, described by Casey in 1906. The species has been introduced from North America to parts of Europe. It is a member of the tribe Oxypodini, a group of small to medium-sized aleocharines often associated with decaying organic matter and fungal habitats.
Ilyobates bennetti
Ilyobates bennetti is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Aleocharinae, described by Donisthorpe in 1914. It was previously known as Ilyobates subopacus Palm, 1935, which has been synonymized following revision of type material. The species belongs to a genus of six valid species distributed across the Pontomediterranean region. Like other members of its genus, it exhibits considerable intraspecific morphological variation and has a univoltine life cycle with reproduction occurring in spring and summer.
Ischnosoma flavicolle
Ischnosoma flavicolle is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Tachyporinae. Originally described by LeConte in 1863 as Mycetoporus flavicolle, it was transferred to the genus Ischnosoma in a 1991 taxonomic revision of North and Central American Mycetoporus and Ischnosoma. The species is known from eastern North America, with records spanning from Canada to the southeastern United States. A lectotype was designated for this species in the 1991 revision.
Ischnosoma hospitale
Ischnosoma hospitale is a rove beetle species in the subfamily Tachyporinae, originally described by Fall in 1910 and transferred from Mycetoporus to Ischnosoma by Campbell (1991). It is one of 18 Ischnosoma species recognized in North and Central America, placed in one of four species groups within the genus. The species is known from California.
Ischnosoma splendidum
Splendid Crab-like Rove Beetle
Ischnosoma splendidum is a rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, originally described by Gravenhorst in 1806 and later transferred from the genus Mycetoporus to Ischnosoma. It has a broad Holarctic distribution spanning Europe, Asia, and North America. The species belongs to a genus of crab-like rove beetles characterized by their distinctive body form and habitat associations with moist, decaying organic matter.
Ischnosoma suteri
Ischnosoma suteri is a rove beetle described in 1991 from eastern North America. It belongs to the genus Ischnosoma, which was separated from Mycetoporus based on morphological characters including mouthpart structure and abdominal chaetotaxy. The species is part of a 1991 revision that established Ischnosoma as a distinct genus in the Tachyporinae subfamily.
Kalissus nitidus
Kalissus nitidus is a small rove beetle species in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Micropeplinae. First described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1874, this species is distributed in western North America, with records from Alaska, Washington, and British Columbia. The genus Kalissus belongs to a small, morphologically distinctive subfamily of rove beetles characterized by their compact body form.
Lathrobium hardeni
Lathrobium hardeni is a species of rove beetle (Staphylinidae) described in 2024 by Haberski and Caterino. The species belongs to the genus Lathrobium, a diverse group of small to medium-sized rove beetles. As a recently described species, detailed ecological and biological information remains limited. Rove beetles in this genus are generally ground-dwelling predators found in various terrestrial habitats.
Lathrobium sparsellum
Lathrobium sparsellum is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, described by Casey in 1905. It belongs to the large genus Lathrobium, which contains numerous small to medium-sized predatory beetles. The species is known from northeastern North America, with records from Canada and the northern United States. Like other members of its genus, it likely inhabits moist ground-level habitats where it preys on small invertebrates.
Lathrobium washingtoni
Lathrobium washingtoni is a rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, described by Casey in 1905. The species is known from northern North America, with records across Canada and Alaska. As a member of the large genus Lathrobium, it is presumed to be a predatory beetle inhabiting soil and litter environments, though specific biological details remain poorly documented. Only two observations are recorded in iNaturalist, indicating it is rarely encountered or underreported.
Lathropinus
Lathropinus is a genus of rove beetles in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Paederinae, and tribe Pinophilini. The genus was established by Sharp in 1886. Species in this genus are small, elongate beetles with the characteristic abbreviated elytra of rove beetles, leaving most of the abdomen exposed. As members of Pinophilini, they are likely associated with forest floor habitats, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Lathropinus picipes
Lathropinus picipes is a rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Paederinae. The genus name was historically confused with Lathrobium, and this species has been documented across a broad geographic range in the United States from the East Coast to the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain region. Records span Alabama, Washington D.C., Florida, Kansas, Maryland, Texas, Virginia, and Wyoming. As with most rove beetles, it likely inhabits moist ground-level microhabitats and exhibits predatory or scavenging feeding habits typical of the family, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Leptacinus intermedius
Intermediate Rove Beetle
Leptacinus intermedius is a European rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, described by Horace Donisthorpe in 1936. The species has been introduced to North America, where it is now established in Canada and the United States. Like other staphylinids, adults and larvae are predatory on other insects.
Leptoplectus pertenuis
Leptoplectus pertenuis is a small rove beetle (family Staphylinidae) in the subfamily Pselaphinae, a group commonly known as ant-loving beetles. The species was described by Casey in 1884 under the basionym Euplectus pertenuis. It is recorded across much of the eastern and central United States.
Leptusa
Leptusa is a genus of rove beetles in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Aleocharinae. The genus was established by Kraatz in 1856 and currently comprises at least 20 described species globally. The Palaearctic fauna includes approximately 420 species and 74 subspecies distributed across 71 subgenera. Recent taxonomic work from the Georgian Caucasus has significantly expanded knowledge of the genus in that region.
Leptusa elegans
Leptusa elegans is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, first described by Blatchley in 1910. It belongs to the subfamily Aleocharinae, a large and diverse group of small rove beetles. The species has been recorded from multiple localities in eastern North America. Like other members of its genus, it is likely associated with forest floor habitats and decaying organic matter, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Leptusa gimmeli
Leptusa gimmeli is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, described from Tennessee in 2010. It belongs to the genus Leptusa, a group of small, often overlooked staphylinids. The species was established based on specimens collected in the eastern United States. As a recently described taxon, detailed biological information remains limited.
Lesteva cribratula
Lesteva cribratula is a small rove beetle (Staphylinidae) native to eastern North America. It has been identified as a likely subnivium specialist, active beneath winter snowpack and rare or inactive during summer months. The species inhabits the air gap between soil and snow, where it likely functions as a predator in cold, stable conditions. Climate change poses a threat to this species through declining snowpack, which exposes subnivium habitats to temperature extremes.
Lesteva pallipes
Lesteva pallipes is a species of rove beetle (Staphylinidae) first described by J.L. LeConte in 1863. Research indicates this species may be a specialist of the subnivium—the air pocket beneath winter snowpack—where it remains active during winter months and is rare or inactive during summer. This apparent seasonal specialization makes it potentially vulnerable to climate change impacts on snowpack persistence.
Liogluta
Liogluta is a genus of rove beetles (family Staphylinidae) in the subfamily Aleocharinae, tribe Athetini. The genus was established by Thomson in 1858 and contains at least six described species distributed across Europe, Japan, and North America. These small beetles are members of one of the most species-rich lineages of rove beetles, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented for most species.
Liogluta terminalis
Liogluta terminalis is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Aleocharinae. It was described by Casey in 1906. The species belongs to the tribe Athetini, one of the largest tribes within the Aleocharinae. Like other members of its genus, it is a small-bodied beetle with the characteristic abbreviated elytra that expose most of the abdomen typical of the Staphylinidae family.
Lissagria laeviuscula
Lissagria laeviuscula is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, originally described by LeConte in 1866 under the basionym Falagria laeviuscula. It belongs to the subfamily Aleocharinae and tribe Falagriini. The species is known from North America, with records from California.
Lissobiops
Lissobiops is a genus of rove beetles (family Staphylinidae) described by Casey in 1905. It is currently classified as a synonym of the genus Homaeotarsus within the subfamily Paederinae. The genus was originally established for species now placed in the subgenus Homaeotarsus (Hesperobium).
Lissohypnus texanus
Lissohypnus texanus is a rove beetle (family Staphylinidae) described by Casey in 1906. It belongs to the tribe Xantholinini within the subfamily Staphylininae. The species is known from scattered records in the southern United States and Mexico. Like other staphylinids, it likely inhabits moist terrestrial environments where it functions as a predator or scavenger, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.