Aleocharinae

Aleocharinae Temporal range: Earliest Cenomanian–Holocene, 98.8–0 Ma[1] PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Aleochara lanuginosa
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Coleoptera
Family:	Staphylinidae
Subfamily:	Aleocharinae Fleming, 1821
Synonyms
Aleocharidae Fleming, 1821[2]

The Aleocharinae are one of the largest subfamilies of rove beetles, containing over 12,000 species. Previously subject to large-scale debate whether the subfamily deserved the familial status, it is now considered one of the largest subfamilies of rove beetles.^[3][4]

Description

The Aleocharinae are generally small to minute beetles, as they can reach a maximum length of about 10 mm (0.4 in), but usually they are 3–5 mm (0.12–0.20 in) long, with a few species of 1 mm (0.04 in), among the smallest of beetles. The body is usually slender, often densely and finely punctured; the head is more or less round and the color may be light or dark brown, reddish-brown, or black, sometimes with contrasting colors of red, yellow, and black.^[4]

Anatomy

Because of the size of the subfamily, their anatomy is extremely variable. However, a few key features are shared by all rove beetles. All members have antennae with 10 or 11 segments. The antennal insertion is posterior to a line drawn between the anterior margins of the eyes or anterior to a line drawn between the anterior margins of the eyes. The tarsal segments vary from 2-2-2 to 4-5-5.

Distribution and habitat

Rove beetles belonging to this subfamily are distributed throughout the world in almost all terrestrial habitats. They are commonly predators in soil communities and leaf litter, frequently inquilines in ant and termite nests or associated with mushrooms and fungi.^[4]

Ecology

This subfamily is common on all terrestrial habitats. It is collected through several methods, including the use of UV light, emergence chambers, sifting, using Berlese organic material, and pitfall traps.

The biology of the subfamily is complex. Many species are highly specialized, thus are prone to extinction. Free-living, parasitic, herbivorous, carnivorous, fungivorous, flying, walking, running, swimming, social, and solitary forms are known, but their life histories are almost unknown at the species level.

Systematics

This subfamily is one of the largest rove beetle subfamilies, containing 52 tribes, over 1000 genera, and over 12000 described species (about 1385 known from North America). This subfamily is a taxonomically difficult groups of beetles.^[4]

Tribes and selected genera

Below is a list of all the tribes and some selected genera.^[4][5]

Gallery

• 
  Aleochara lata
• 
  Xenodusa cava
• 
  Xenistusa sp.
• Bolitochara lucida on fungus
• 
  Male (left) and female genitals of Ischnoglossa prolix

Bibliography

• Ferro, M. L., M. L. Gimmel, K. E. Harms, and C. E. Carlton. 2012a. Comparison of the Coleoptera communities in leaf litter and rotten wood in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA. Insecta Mundi 259: 1–58. [1]
• Newton, A. F., Jr., M. K. Thayer, J. S. Ashe, and D. S. Chandler. 2001. 22. Staphylinidae Latreille, 1802. p. 272–418. In: R. H. Arnett, Jr., and M. C. Thomas (eds.). American beetles, Volume 1. CRC Press; Boca Raton, Florida. ix + 443 p.
• Ashe, J. S. 2005: Phylogeny of the tachyporine group subfamilies and 'basal' lineages of the Aleocharinae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) based on larval and adult characteristics. Systematic entomology, 30: 3–37. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-3113.2004.00258.
• Thomas, J. C. 2009: A preliminary molecular investigation of aleocharine phylogeny (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 102: 189–195. doi: 10.1603/008.102.0201

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aleocharinae.