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Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

Rove Beetles

Staphylinidae

Tasgius ater, a common rove beetle found in many agricultural habitats (Photo by D. Cheung, DKB Digital Designs)Philonthus sericans, a common rove beetle found in many agricultural habitats (Photo by D. Cheung, DKB Digital Designs)
Click to enlarge.

Beginner

Scientific Names
Species identified in Ontario orchards include Quedius spp. and Tachyporus spp.

Identification
Eggs:

  • White and pear-shaped. 
  • Laid in decaying matter and are not seen in the orchard.

Larvae:

  • Similar in appearance to the adults.
  • Long curved jaws and a cylindrical organ posteriorly (tip of abdomen).
  • Four larval instars that last about 11–15 days.

Pupae:

  • Resembles the adult it will become but in mummy form, with obvious legs, eyes, chewing mouthparts and antennae held tightly into the body.
  • The pupal period lasts about 7–12 days, depending on temperature. 

Adults:

  • Generally slender insects with short elytra or wing covers that do not cover all the abdominal segments.
  • May have a slightly flattened appearance. 
  • Vary greatly in size (0.3–1.6 cm long) and colouration and are widely distributed.
  • Adults and larvae of several species flex the tip of their abdomens upwards when they run.

Often Confused With

  • Earwigs – Earwigs have characteristic stout pincers at the tip of the abdomen, lacking in rove beetles. 

Interaction with Host
Staphylinids feed on both living and dead insects and on decaying plant material. A few species are also parasitic. Staphylinids may feed on overwintered pupae of the spotted tentiform leafminer. Adults of some species feed on larvae and pupae of the apple maggot.

Period of Activity
Adults overwinter and become active early in spring when mating and oviposition occur. In apple orchards they occur throughout the season, and there are several generations per year. Several species occur in fruit orchards in southern Ontario.

Insects Attacked
Common prey in apple orchards include insects that pupate in or on the soil, such as apple maggot and overwintering spotted tentiform leafminer.  Rove beetles will also eat aphids, mites, beetle larvae of other species, and small caterpillars.
 
Monitoring and Management
Rove beetles are nocturnal. They may be found by actively searching under rocks and vegetation on the orchard floor, as well as in foliage and protected areas of bark on trunks and limbs, but are not recorded during scouting activities. 

Advanced

Scientific Names
Species identified in Ontario orchards include Quedius spp. and Tachyporus spp.

Identification
Eggs: White and pear-shaped.  Eggs are laid in decaying matter and are not seen in the orchard.

Larvae: Similar in appearance to the adults and have long curved jaws and a cylindrical organ posteriorly (tip of abdomen). The latter assists the larva in walking. There are four larval instars that last about 11–15 days.

Pupae: Resembles the adult it will become but in mummy form, with obvious legs, eyes, chewing mouthparts and antennae held tightly into the body. The pupal period lasts about 7–12 days, depending on temperature. 

Adults: Rove beetles are generally slender insects with short elytra or wing covers that do not cover all the abdominal segments. They may have a slightly flattened appearance. They vary greatly in size (0.3–1.6 cm long) and colouration and are widely distributed.

Adults and larvae of several species flex the tip of their abdomens upwards when they run.

Often Confused With

  • Earwigs – Earwigs have characteristic stout pincers at the tip of the abdomen, lacking in rove beetles. 

Interaction with Host
Staphylinids are found in decaying animal and vegetable matter, in ants’ nests, under the bark of trees, and on the foliage and limbs. They are predaceous and saprophagous, feeding on living and dead insects and other soft-bodied arthropods. Some feed on decaying vegetation. A few species are also parasitic. Staphylinids may feed on overwintered pupae of the spotted tentiform leafminer, Phyllonorycter blancardella (Fabr.), in leafmines in the spring. Adults of some species fed on larvae and pupae of the apple maggot Rhagoletis pomonella (Walsh).

Period of Activity
Adults overwinter and become active early in spring when mating and oviposition occur. In apple orchards they occur throughout the season, and there are several generations per year. Several species occur in fruit orchards in southern Ontario.

Insects Attacked
Common prey in apple orchards include insects that pupate in or on the soil, such as apple maggot and overwintering spotted tentiform leafminer.  Rove beetles will also eat insect eggs, other maggots, aphids, mites, beetle larvae of other species, small caterpillars, and springtails.
 
Monitoring and Management
Rove beetles are nocturnal. They may be found by actively searching under rocks and vegetation on the orchard floor, as well as in foliage and protected areas of bark on trunks and limbs, but are not recorded during scouting activities.