large rove beetle

(Belonuchus rufipennis)

Conservation Status
large rove beetle (Belonuchus rufipennis)
Photo by Alfredo Colon
  IUCN Red List

not listed

     
  NatureServe

NNR - Unranked

     
  Minnesota

not listed

     
           
           
           
 
Description
 
 

Belonuchus rufipennis is a large, predatory, rove beetle. It is widespread in North America from the east coast to Ontario, and also occurs in Central and South America. It can be found in carrion, dung, decaying plant and fungi tissues, fermenting sap and fruit, and rotting organic matter in forest litter and tree holes.

Adults are slender, 3 16 to (4.6 to 9 mm) long, and superficially resemble earwigs.

The head is black, shiny, and constricted behind the eyes forming a short but distinct neck. The neck is broad, more than half as wide as the head, and is clearly visible when viewed from above. The compound eyes are small and are not protruding. The antennae have 11 segments and are moderately clubbed. The bases of the antennae are closer to the compound eye than they are to each other.

The exoskeletal plate covering the thorax (pronotum) black, shiny, and longer than wide. It has two rows of 4 or 5 punctures on top and a row of 5 or 6 punctures on each side.

The abdomen is long, nearly parallel-sided, and flexible. The hardened wing covers (elytra) are reddish-yellow or reddish-brown and do not overlap. They are short, exposing the last six abdominal segments. The first four of these segments are reddish-yellow or reddish-brown, the last two are black.

The legs are reddish-yellow and short. On the front and hind legs, the third leg segment (femur) is more spiny on the male than on the female.

The last part of each leg (tarsus), corresponding to the foot, has five segments.

 
     
 

Size

 
 

Total length: 3 16 to

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
     
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Decaying organic matter, forest litter, tree holes

 
     
 
Biology
 
 

Season

 
 

 

 
     
 

Behavior

 
 

The flexible abdomen is sometimes held upward, even when running. It looks threatening, but it does not sting.

 
     
 

Life Cycle

 
 

 

 
     
 

Larva Food

 
 

 

 
     
 

Adult Food

 
 

 

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

24, 29, 30.

 
  12/17/2018      
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

 

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
 

Order

Coleoptera (beetles)  
 

Suborder

Polyphaga (water, rove, scarab, long-horned, leaf, and snout beetles)  
 

Infraorder

Staphyliniformia  
 

Superfamily

Staphylinoidea (rove, ant-like stone, and carrion beetles)  
 

Family

Staphylinidae (rove beetles)  
 

Subfamily

Staphylininae (large rove beetles)  
 

Tribe

Staphylinini  
  Subtribe Philonthina  
 

Genus

Belonuchus  
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

 

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

This species has no common name. The common name of the subfamily Staphylininae is large rove beetles, and it is applied here for convenience.

 
       

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Elytra

The hardened or leathery forewings of beetles used to protect the fragile hindwings, which are used for flying. Singular: elytron.

 

Femur

On insects and arachnids, the third, largest, most robust segment of the leg, coming immediately before the tibia. On humans, the thigh bone.

 

Pronotum

The exoskeletal plate on the upper side of the first segment of the thorax of an insect.

 

Tarsus

On insects, the last two to five subdivisions of the leg, attached to the tibia; the foot. On spiders, the last segment of the leg. Plural: tarsi.

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
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Alfredo Colon

 
    large rove beetle (Belonuchus rufipennis)   large rove beetle (Belonuchus rufipennis)  
           
    large rove beetle (Belonuchus rufipennis)      
           
 
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  Alfredo Colon
6/22/2018

Location: Woodbury, Minnesota

large rove beetle (Belonuchus rufipennis)  
           
 
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Created: 12/17/2018

Last Updated:

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