Staphylinoidea is a superfamily of beetles. It is a very large and diverse group with worldwide distribution.
Description
Adult staphylinoids are generally small beetles no more than a few millimetres long, though Staphylinidae can reach 50 mm long and Silphidae can reach 45 mm.[1] The superfamily includes the smallest beetles (and the smallest of all non-parasitic insects) in family Ptiliidae. Most Ptiliidae do not exceed 1 mm long as adults, while the smallest species is just 325 μm long.[2]
Adults can be recognised by the hind wings having no accessory posterior ridge (locking device), no medial loop, no wedge cell and no apical hinge. The 8th segment of the abdomen is not entirely invaginated within the 7th. The head usually lacks a coronal suture (rarely with a short, rudimentary suture).[1]
Larval staphylinoids have 3-segmented (rarely 4-segmented) maxillary palps with distinct (often fused) galia and lacinia. The body usually has well-developed tergites and sternites. The spiracles are annular or annular-biforous. There are no epistomal lobes.[1]
Systematics and evolution
Staphylinoidea contains the following subgroups:[3][4][5][6]
Family Agyrtidae C.G. Thomson 1859 (primitive carrion beetles)
^Beutel, R. G. and Leschen, R.A.B. 2005. Phylogenetic analysis of Staphyliniformia (Coleoptera) based on characters of larvae and adults. Systematic Entomology
^J. F. Lawrence and A. F. Newton, Jr. 1995. Families and subfamilies of Coleoptera (with selected genera, notes, references and data on family-group names). pp. 779-1006 In: J. Pakaluk & S. A. Slipinski (Eds.): Biology, Phylogeny, and Classification of Coleoptera: Papers Celebrating the 80th Birthday of Roy A. Crowson. Museum i Instytut Zoologii PAN, Warszawa
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