Extension > Garden > Diagnose a problem > What insect is this? > General/curiosity insects > Insects without obvious wings: less than ½ inch long > Rove beetle

Rove beetle

Staphylinidae family

Susan Ellis, Bugwood.org

Jeff Hahn, University of Minnesota Extension

Description: 1/8 - 3/4 inch long.
Flat, slender beetles with very short wing covers that expose most of the abdomen. Most are black or brown.

Where/When: Typically found on the ground, under stones and leaves and in loose soil during spring and summer.

Significance: They are predators of other insects.

More information on the Rove beetle