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Intertidal rove beetles (Coleoptera:
Staphylinidae) 1 Contents
Introduction - Genera
with marine members
................................................................... 1 Systematics - Key to
subfamilies ...................................................................................... 3 Synopsis of
subfamilies with keys to genera
................................................................... 8 Ecology and
distribution
...................................................................................................
21 Acknowledgements
...........................................................................................................
23 References
..........................................................................................................................26 INTRODUCTION
Staphylinidae is a very large family of beetles,
containing about 30,000 described species.
Most members may be recognized by the very short elytra which leave
most of the abdomen exposed. They superficially resemble earwigs but lack
pinchers at the tip of the abdomen.
About 1 % of the species are known to be confined
to seashore habitats. Since habitat records are not known for the majority of
staphylinids, it is not surprising if we are unaware of the marine habitat of
some species. On the Pacific seashore of North America the Staphylinidae
comprise a large percentage of the insect fauna, both in number of species
and in number of individuals. Most of the species of that area have been
named, and some of the developmental stages described, but much is still to
be learned about their biology and ecology. The marine staphylinid fauna of
Europe is at " least as well known as that of America; but the fauna of
the rest of the world is relatively unexplored.
Staphylinids are found in a variety of habitats usually in the
presence of considerable moisture, such as margins of streams, ponds and
lakes, damp leaf ----------------------------------------- 1 Revised 2003 by E. F. Legner from: Moore, I. & E. F. Legner. 1976.
Intertidal rove beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae). In:
"Marine Insects", L. Cheng (ed.). pp. 521-51. North- Holland
Publ. Co., Amsterdam. 581 pp. |