Staphyliniformia
Infraorder of beetles
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Staphyliniformia is a large infraorder of beetles. It contains over 70,000 described species from all regions of the world. Most species occur in moist habitats - various kinds of rotting plant debris, fungi, dung, carrion, many live in fresh water.
| Staphyliniformia Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
| |
| Devil's coach horse beetle, Ocypus olens | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Suborder: | Polyphaga |
| Infraorder: | Staphyliniformia Lameere, 1900 |
| Superfamilies | |
|
See text. | |
Characteristics
Most Staphyliniforms are small to average sized beetles. The diverse group has few clear apomorphies. They have primitively 11-segmented antennae, a constricted neck well behind the eyes. The pronotum has a well defined, large lateral edge. Larval legs are 5-segmented, the 10th abdominal segment is often with more-or-less fine or strong spines or hooks. Urogomphi (paired "horns" at posterior tip of abdomen of larvae and pupae) with basal articulation.[1]
Systematics and evolution
Staphyliniformia belongs to the suborder Polyphaga and is usually given an infraorder or series rank. It contains three superfamilies:
- Histeroidea, including the clown beetles.
- Hydrophiloidea, including the water scavenger beetles
- Staphylinoidea, including antlike stone beetles, carrion beetles, and rove beetles.
Some recent studies also include the superfamily Scarabaeoidea (infraorder Scarabaeiformia), forming together the so-called Hydrophiloid lineage.[2][3] A sister group relationship of Hydrophiloidea and Histeroidea is strongly supported.[4]
The unambiguous fossil record dates back to Triassic, and an early Mesozoic origin of the group is probable.[5]
