Rove beetle

Rove beetle

Rove beetles are a large family of beetles known as Staphylinidae. They are special because their short wing covers, called elytra, leave most of their belly parts showing. There are over 66,000 kinds of rove beetles, making them one of the biggest groups of beetles.

These beetles first appeared a very long time ago, during a time called the Middle Jurassic, based on fossils scientists have found. They are found in many different places and have many different shapes and sizes.

One famous kind of rove beetle is called the devil's coach-horse beetle. The group of rove beetles was first named in 1802 by a scientist named Pierre André Latreille.

Anatomy

Rove beetles come in many sizes, usually between 2 to 8 mm long. Some are smaller than 1 mm, and others can be up to 35 mm. They often have long, slender bodies. Their colors can be yellow, red, brown, black, blue, or green. These beetles have antennas with 11 parts and a flexible, long belly.

One special feature of rove beetles is their short wing covers. They fold their wings tightly when not in use, but they can still fly well. Some rove beetles, like those in the groups Antimerus and Phanolinus, have a shiny, metallic look.

A few rove beetles, especially in the group Paederinae, make a strong substance in their blood. If this substance touches a person’s skin, it can cause irritation. This substance is very powerful.

Ecology

Rove beetles live almost everywhere that other beetles live. They eat many things, but not the parts of plants that are still alive. Most rove beetles hunt and eat small insects and creatures. You can find them where leaves and plants have broken down, under rocks, and near water.

Some rove beetles live near the ocean and can survive when the tide comes in. Others live inside ant and termite homes. A few help mammals by eating fleas and other bugs that bother the animals. Because rove beetles can sense changes in their environment, they can help scientists know when something is wrong with the habitat.

Systematics

Scientists are still figuring out how to organize the 63,650 known rove beetle species. Some believe they should be split into 10 families, but most agree on a system with 32 subfamilies, around 167 groups called tribes, and about 3,200 types called genera. Every year, about 400 new species are discovered, and many more are waiting to be found in tropical areas.