Rove Beetle

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Common names: Rove Beetle

Scientific name: Staphylinidae

Region: There are many species of this beetle throughout North America.

Life cycle: This beetle produces several generations each year.  The insect may overwinter as a larva, pupa, or adult.

Physical Description: With there long, dark, flat bodies, this beetle resemble an earwig.  They are 1/8 to 1/2 inch long, slender, straight bodied with clubbed antennae, and curved mouthparts.  They are brown or black and often shiny, and are winged or wingless with shortened elytra.

Feeding characteristics: Feeding habits vary with species.  Most commonly, species are scavengers, but some are parasitic in the larval stage.  Some are predators and a few have a combination of all these feeding habits.