Staphylinidae
Guides
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 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.
Arianops norithe
Arianops norithe is a species of ant-loving beetle in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Pselaphinae. It was described by Barr in 1974 and is known from North Carolina, USA. The genus Arianops is part of the tribe Amauropini, a group of small beetles associated with ant colonies.
Arianops unicoi
Arianops unicoi is a species of ant-loving beetle in the family Staphylinidae, described by Barr in 1974. The specific epithet 'unicoi' references the Unicoi Mountains, part of the southern Appalachian range in eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina. As a member of the subfamily Pselaphinae, it belongs to a diverse group of small rove beetles typically associated with forest floor habitats. The species is known from a restricted geographic range in the southeastern United States.
Arpedium
Arpedium is a Holarctic genus of rove beetles (Staphylinidae: Omaliinae: Anthophagini) first described by Erichson in 1839. The genus comprises approximately 14 species distributed across the Nearctic and Palaearctic regions, including Europe, Japan, North America, and Central Asia. At least one species, A. cribratum, has been identified as a subnivium specialist—active beneath winter snowpack and rare or inactive during summer. The genus has undergone taxonomic revision, with five new species described recently and several synonymies resolved.
Arpedium schwarzi
Arpedium schwarzi is a rove beetle (Staphylinidae: Omaliinae: Anthophagini) belonging to the Schwarzi species group within the genus Arpedium. It is an eastern North American species with a distribution spanning the eastern United States and southeastern Canada. The species was described by Fauvel in 1878 and has been subject to taxonomic revision, with lectotype designation and redescription in recent studies.
Arrhenopeplus
Arrhenopeplus is a genus of rove beetles in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Micropeplinae. The genus was established by Blackwelder in 1952. It contains at least one described species, Arrhenopeplus tesserula. Members of this genus are small beetles with the characteristic short elytra typical of rove beetles.
Arthmius
Arthmius is a genus of small rove beetles in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Pselaphinae, commonly referred to as ant-loving beetles. The genus contains nine described species distributed in North America. Members of this genus are associated with ant colonies, a characteristic trait of many Pselaphinae. The genus was established by John Lawrence LeConte in 1849.
Arthmius morsus
ant-loving beetle
Arthmius morsus is a species of ant-loving beetle in the family Staphylinidae, first described by Fletcher in 1932. It belongs to the subfamily Pselaphinae, a group characterized by small size and association with ant colonies. The species is documented from Arizona, USA. Like other members of the tribe Batrisini, it is presumed to inhabit ant nests, though specific biological details remain poorly documented.
Artochia
Artochia is a genus of rove beetles (Staphylinidae) in the subfamily Omaliinae, tribe Anthophagini. The genus contains two described species: Artochia californica (California) and Artochia productifrons (distributed across British Columbia, Alaska, California, Oregon, Utah, and Washington). It is a small, rarely encountered genus with limited documented observations.
Astenus americanus
Astenus americanus is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Paederinae. It is a small, poorly known species with limited published information on its biology. The species has been recorded from northeastern North America, with scattered records from Canada and the eastern United States. Like other members of the genus Astenus, it likely inhabits leaf litter and soil environments, though specific ecological details remain undocumented.
Astenus brevipennis
Astenus brevipennis is a species of rove beetle (family Staphylinidae) described by Austin in 1877. It belongs to the subfamily Paederinae, a group characterized by relatively slender bodies and predatory habits. The species name "brevipennis" refers to short wings, a trait common among rove beetles where the hardened forewings (elytra) are reduced and leave most of the abdomen exposed. This species has been recorded from scattered localities across eastern North America.
Astenus cinctus
Astenus cinctus is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, first described by Thomas Say in 1831. As a member of the subfamily Paederinae, it belongs to a diverse group of predatory beetles characterized by their elongated bodies and short elytra. The genus Astenus contains numerous species distributed across the Northern Hemisphere, with A. cinctus documented from parts of Canada and the United States.
Astenus discopunctatus
Black-tailed Tomcat Rove Beetle
Astenus discopunctatus is a rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, commonly known as the Black-tailed Tomcat Rove Beetle. The species was originally described as Paederus discopunctatus by Thomas Say in 1831. It belongs to the subfamily Paederinae, a diverse group of rove beetles often associated with leaf litter and soil habitats. The species has been documented across eastern and central North America.
Atanygnathus
Atanygnathus is a genus of rove beetles in the family Staphylinidae, first described by Jakobson in 1909. The genus has a cosmopolitan distribution and includes at least three described species: A. bicolor, A. terminalis, and A. poussereaui. It belongs to the subtribe Tanygnathinina within the tribe Staphylinini. As with other staphylinid beetles, members of this genus are characterized by their shortened elytra that leave much of the abdomen exposed.
Atheta alesi
Atheta alesi is a rove beetle species described in 2012 from New Brunswick, Canada. It was among 32 new beetle species identified during a comprehensive survey of the province's coleopteran fauna. The species belongs to the large genus Atheta within the family Staphylinidae.
Atheta longicornis
Atheta longicornis is a rove beetle species in the family Staphylinidae, first described by Gravenhorst in 1802. The species has a broad native distribution across Europe, North Africa, and parts of Asia, and has been introduced to North America (Canada and the United States), Australia, and other regions. As a member of the hyperdiverse genus Atheta, it inhabits various terrestrial habitats where it contributes to decomposition processes. The species is characterized by its relatively long antennae, which inspired its specific epithet.
Atheta modesta
Atheta modesta is a rove beetle (family Staphylinidae) first described by F.E. Melsheimer in 1844. It is a small beetle species found in northeastern North America, with records from both Canada and the United States. The species is part of the diverse genus Atheta, which contains numerous small, often poorly known rove beetles. Recent survey work in New Brunswick, Canada has contributed to knowledge of its distribution.
Atheta particula
Atheta particula is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, described by Casey in 1910. It belongs to the large and diverse subfamily Aleocharinae, one of the most species-rich lineages within the rove beetles. The species has been documented from limited observations in northeastern North America, with records from Canada and the northeastern United States. Like many aleocharine rove beetles, it is likely associated with decaying organic matter and soil habitats, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Atheta pennsylvanica
Atheta pennsylvanica is a species of rove beetle described by Bernhauer in 1907. It belongs to the large genus Atheta within the subfamily Aleocharinae. The species is known from eastern North America, with records spanning Canada and the northeastern United States. Like other aleocharine rove beetles, it is small-bodied and associated with soil and leaf litter habitats.
Atheta prudhoensis
Atheta prudhoensis is a rove beetle species in the family Staphylinidae, described by Lohse in 1990. The species has been documented across northern North America, including extensive Canadian provinces and territories as well as parts of the northeastern United States. It was among the beetle species contributing to the substantial increase in documented fauna for New Brunswick, Canada, where beetle species counts rose from 1,365 in 1991 to 3,062 by 2016.
Atheta remulsa
Atheta remulsa is a small rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, described by Casey in 1910. The species is known from a broad geographic range across northern North America, including most Canadian provinces and territories as well as Alaska and New York in the United States. It is one of thousands of beetle species documented in regional biodiversity surveys, including recent work in New Brunswick, Canada.
Atheta ventricosa
Distended Minute Rove Beetle
Atheta ventricosa is a small rove beetle species in the family Staphylinidae, described by Bernhauer in 1907. It is distributed across much of Canada and the northern United States. The species has been recorded from 10 Canadian provinces and territories and 12 US states.
Athetini
Athetini is a large tribe of rove beetles (Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae) comprising at least 50 genera and 430 described species. The tribe is taxonomically complex, with ongoing research into its limits and internal relationships; it was not recovered as monophyletic in molecular phylogenetic studies. Multiple independent origins of coastal habitat specialization have been documented within the tribe.
Atrecus americanus
Atrecus americanus is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, described by Casey in 1906. It belongs to the tribe Othiini within the subfamily Staphylininae. The species is known from eastern North America, with records spanning from southeastern Canada through the northeastern and north-central United States.
Autalia
Autalia is a genus of rove beetles in the family Staphylinidae, first described by Leach in 1819. The genus belongs to the subfamily Aleocharinae and is the type genus of the tribe Autaliini. Species are documented from Europe, Northern America, and the Neotropics. The genus includes at least four recognized species: Autalia impressa, A. longicornis, A. puncticollis, and A. rivularis.
Autalia puncticollis
Autalia puncticollis is a rove beetle species in the family Staphylinidae, described by Sharp in 1864. It belongs to the tribe Autaliini within the subfamily Aleocharinae. The species has a Palearctic native distribution across Europe, Russia, Turkey, and Japan, with introduced populations in western North America including British Columbia, California, and Washington.
Baeocera pallida
Baeocera pallida is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, described by Thomas Lincoln Casey in 1900. It belongs to the subfamily Scaphidiinae, a group commonly known as shining fungus beetles due to their association with fungal substrates. The species is documented from scattered localities across eastern and central North America, with records from Canada and the United States.
Batrisodes albionicus
Batrisodes albionicus is a species of ant-loving beetle in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Pselaphinae. It is distributed in western North America, with records from British Columbia, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and California. As a member of the genus Batrisodes, it is likely associated with leaf litter habitats and ant colonies, though specific ecological details for this species remain poorly documented.
Batrisodes denticollis
Batrisodes denticollis is a species of ant-loving beetle in the family Staphylinidae, subfamily Pselaphinae. It is known from scattered localities across the eastern and central United States. Like other members of its genus, it is presumed to inhabit leaf litter and may associate with ants. The species was described by Casey in 1884.
Batrisodes mendocino
Batrisodes mendocino is a small rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, first described by Casey in 1886. It is an ant-loving beetle (myrmecophile) that has been documented in California, USA. The species epithet refers to Mendocino County or the broader Mendocino region of coastal northern California. Like other members of its genus, it is likely associated with ant colonies, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Batrisodes scabriceps
gargoyle beetle
Batrisodes scabriceps is a small rove beetle in the subfamily Pselaphinae, commonly known as the short-winged mould beetles. Males of this species exhibit pronounced facial modifications including horns, spines, or other projections that give the genus its informal name 'gargoyle beetles.' The species was originally described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1849 and occurs across eastern and central North America. Like other members of Batrisodes, it is presumed to inhabit leaf litter and prey on microarthropods.
Batrisodes texanus
Coffin Cave mold beetle, Inner Space Caverns mold beetle
Batrisodes texanus is a minute troglobitic beetle endemic to caves in Williamson County, Texas. This eyeless species measures only 2.60–2.88 mm and inhabits the unique microenvironment of cave systems, where it feeds on organic matter such as mold and detritus. The species is federally listed as endangered due to its extremely restricted range and vulnerability to habitat disturbance. It belongs to the diverse rove beetle family Staphylinidae, specifically the subfamily Pselaphinae, which contains many cave-adapted species.
Batrisodes venyivi
Helotes Mold Beetle
Batrisodes venyivi, commonly known as the Helotes Mold Beetle, is a small, eyeless troglobitic beetle in the family Staphylinidae. It is endemic to eight caves in Bexar County, Texas, and was listed as endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act in 2000. The species exhibits classic cave-adapted traits including elongated antennae, legs, and sensory setae. Very little is known about its behavior, population trends, or life history due to the logistical challenges of accessing its subterranean habitat.
Beeria nematocera
Beeria nematocera is a species of rove beetle (family Staphylinidae) originally described as Philonthus nematocerus by Casey in 1915, later transferred to the monotypic genus Beeria by Hatch in 1957. The genus combines morphological characteristics of both Staphylinini and Quediini tribes, though its prothorax morphology supports placement in Quediini. The species is known from western North America.
Belladonna barryi
Belladonna barryi is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae. The genus name 'Belladonna' references the toxic nightshade plant, though this does not necessarily indicate a biological association. The species epithet 'barryi' likely honors an individual, following common taxonomic practice. Very little is known about this species beyond its taxonomic placement.
Belonuchus
Belonuchus is a genus of large rove beetles in the family Staphylinidae, comprising more than 30 described species. Members of this genus are found in the Americas, with records from Mexico and the southwestern United States. At least one species, B. cifuentesi, has been documented in association with Agave plants. The genus is characterized by features typical of the tribe Staphylinini within the subfamily Staphylininae.
Belonuchus rufipennis
Belonuchus rufipennis is a species of rove beetle (family Staphylinidae) first described by Fabricius in 1801. It is considered a relatively large species within the rove beetle family, with documented body lengths ranging from 4.6 to 9 mm. The species exhibits a notably broad geographic distribution spanning the Americas from Canada to Argentina, with additional populations established in Hawaii and Italy through human introduction.
Beyeria vespa
Beyeria vespa is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, first described by Fenyes in 1910. It belongs to the tribe Crematoxenini within the subfamily Aleocharinae. The species is known to occur in North America, with documented records from Arizona, USA. As a member of Staphylinidae, it possesses the characteristic short elytra that leave most of the abdomen exposed.
Bibloporus bicanalis
Bibloporus bicanalis is a small rove beetle in the subfamily Pselaphinae, characterized by reduced elytra and a compact body form typical of ant-loving beetles. The species was described by Casey in 1884 and occurs in eastern North America. As a member of the tribe Trichonychini, it belongs to a diverse group of myrmecophilous beetles that have evolved specialized associations with ants. Records indicate presence in both Canada and the United States, though detailed biological information remains limited.
Bisnius blandus
A rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, widely distributed across eastern North America from Canada to the southern United States. The species has been recorded in 57 iNaturalist observations, indicating moderate detection frequency by naturalists. As a member of the tribe Staphylinini and subtribe Philonthina, it belongs to a diverse group of predatory rove beetles.
Bisnius cephalicus
Bisnius cephalicus is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, first described by Casey in 1915. It belongs to the subtribe Philonthina within the tribe Staphylinini. The species has been documented in Canada across multiple provinces including Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Ontario, and Quebec. As a member of the large and diverse genus Bisnius, this species shares the general characteristics of predatory rove beetles, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented in published literature.
Bisnius fimetarius
Bisnius fimetarius is a rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, originally described from Europe and now known to occur across the Palearctic region. The species has been introduced to eastern Canada. As a member of the genus Bisnius, it belongs to a group of rove beetles often associated with dung and carrion habitats where they function as predators.
Bledius
spiny-legged rove beetles
Bledius is a genus of spiny-legged rove beetles in the family Staphylinidae, containing at least 100 described species. Members of this genus are associated with coastal and riparian habitats, where they have been observed in intertidal zones and along shorelines. The genus was established by Leach in 1819 and is classified within the tribe Blediini of subfamily Oxytelinae. Species in this genus exhibit adaptations for life in wet, sandy environments.
Bledius albonotatus
Bledius albonotatus is a rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, first described by Mäklin in 1853. The species belongs to the genus Bledius, a group known for association with aquatic or semi-aquatic habitats, particularly sandy shorelines. It occurs along the Pacific coast of North America from Alaska to Mexico. The specific epithet 'albonotatus' refers to white markings on the body.
Bledius analis
spiny-legged rove beetle
Bledius analis is a species of spiny-legged rove beetle described by John Lawrence LeConte in 1863. It belongs to the tribe Blediini within the rove beetle family Staphylinidae. The species is documented across much of North America, with records from Canada and the United States.
Bledius emarginatus
Bledius emarginatus is a species of rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, tribe Blediini. The species was described by Thomas Say in 1831. It is one of many species in the large genus Bledius, which comprises small to medium-sized beetles often associated with moist or riparian habitats.
Bledius gallicus
Bledius gallicus is a rove beetle in the family Staphylinidae, first described by Gravenhorst in 1806 under the name Oxytelus gallicum. The species has a broad native distribution across Europe, Russia, the Caucasus, Middle East, Central Asia, Mongolia, and China. It has been introduced to eastern North America, with established populations in Canada and the northeastern United States. The genus Bledius comprises species often associated with sandy or muddy habitats, though specific ecological details for B. gallicus remain limited in published sources.