Staphyliniformia

Taxobox
name = Staphyliniformia

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image_width = 250px
image_caption = Devil's coach horse beetle, "Ocypus olens"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
classis = Insecta
ordo = Coleoptera
subordo = Polyphaga
infraordo = Staphyliniformia
infraordo_authority = Lameere, 1900
subdivision_ranks = Superfamilies
subdivision = See text.

Staphyliniformia is a large infraorder of beetles. It contains over 60,000 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.

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 articulationM.Hansen. Phylogeny and classification of the staphyliniform beetle families (Coleoptera). Biologiske Skrifter 48, Copenhagen, 1997] .

ystematics and evilution

Staphyliniformia belongs to the Polyphaga suborder 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. [M.S.Caterino et al., On the constitution and phylogeny of Staphyliniformia (Insecta: Coleoptera). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution Vol.34, 3, 2005] [J.Kukalova-Peck, J.F.Lawrence, (1993) Evolution of the hindwings in Coleoptera. Canadian Entomologist, 135, 181–258.] A sister group relationship of Hydrophiloidea and Histeroidea is strongly supported [R.G.Beutel, R.A.B.Leschen, Phylogenetic analysis of Staphyliniformia (Coleoptera) based on characters of larvae and adults. Systematic Entomology (2005), 30, 510–548] .

The unambiguous fossil record dates back to Triassic, and an early Mesozoic origin of the group is probable. [Grimaldi, D. and Engel, M.S. (2005). Evolution of the Insects. Cambridge University Press]

References