THE INSECTS OF CEDAR CREEK

Cedar Creek
Natural History Area

Insects of Cedar Creek

Order COLEOPTERA

Family STAPHYLINIDAE

(Rove Beetles)

(Table of Species)

The enormous Rove Beetle family (3187 N.A. spp) is poorly collected on Cedar Creek. Perhaps 50 species have been collected, but many of these (especially in the subfamily Aleocharinae) remain undetermined or even sorted to taxa. Without question, a knowledgeable person could add at least 100 species to this family. Rove Beetles are predaceous both as larvae and adults and are often found near dung or carrion. The following Preliminary Discussion is by Subfamily.

OMALINAE
Bledius spp are fairly common. Anthobium and Acidota also collected.

STENINAE
Stenus (4+spp) are swept from vegetation with some frequency.

PAEDERINAE
The colorful Paederus littorariushas been collected as has Lathrobium spp.

STAPHYLININAE
Species collected in this Subfamily include: Nudobius cephalus, and several species of Philonthus. Large predators at woodland carrion are Ontholestes cingulatus and Creophilus maxillosus. Platydracusfossator is found in old fields.

OXYPORINAE
Oxyporus lateralis? has been collected.

TACHYPORINAE
Members of this subfamily frequently occur under bark. Species collected include: Erchomus ventriculus, Mycetoporus sp, Tachinus spp, and Tachyporus spp.

ALEOCHARINAE
Not even the surface has been scratched in this large subfamily of tiny beetles. Falagria and Aleochara are two genera collected.....A fair amount of undetermined material remains in the collection.

jhaar@lter.umn.edu