rove beetle

American  

noun

1. any of numerous beetles of the family Staphylinidae, having a slender, elongated body and very short front wings, and capable of running swiftly.

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rove beetle British  

noun

1. any beetle of the family Staphylinidae , characterized by very short elytra and an elongated body: typically they are of carnivorous or scavenging habits

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Etymology

Origin of rove beetle

First recorded in 1765–75

Example Sentences

In a paper published in the journal “Cell,” they break down the remarkable ability of one species of rove beetle to live among the typically combative ants.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 10, 2026

“Something happens along this one particular rove beetle lineage called the Aleocharinae that explodes in diversity. And what is that thing? They all have this incredible chemical defense gland in the abdomen,” Parker says.

From Scientific American • Sep. 27, 2023

The researchers found that this gland has been conserved in thousands of rove beetle species over eons because it is so effective at protecting against ants.

From Scientific American • Sep. 27, 2023

In what may be one of Earth’s craziest forms of mimicry, researchers have discovered a new species of rove beetle that grows a termite puppet on its back to fool real termites into feeding it.

From Science Magazine • Sep. 6, 2023

There are 58,000 named species of rove beetle, but the true number out there is several fold this total.

From Scientific American • Dec. 10, 2012