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 - Introduction - 



Family STAPHYLINIDAE. 



( jAicroptera iravh. Coleopt. Micropt. Brunsvic. 1602, VII. - Staphylini 

 Erichs. ien. et Spec. Staph. 1839. - Staphylinii Kraatz Ins. Deutshel. II. 

 1856. - Staphylinidae and fwicropeplldae Thorns. Skand. Coleopt. I, 1859, ?.2; 

 II. 1860, 136; III. 1861 and IV, 1863, 195. - Brevipennls Uuls. et Rey Hist. 

 Nat. Coleopt. de France 1873-1883. - Staphylinidae Janglb. Kaf. Mitteleurop. 

 II, 1895.) 



Staphylinids or "Rove-beetles" (family Staphylinidae , true Staphylinids) 

 are among the beetles, by strongly abbreviated elytra etc., most closely 

 related to the Pselaphids (Fam. Pselaphidae and Clavigerldae ) . Together 

 with these and the small family Platypsyliidae , which is not included in 

 our fauna, but in Middle Europe at the Elb is still represented by the 

 ■beaver louse", Platypsyllus castoris Ritz. , comprise the family group 

 STAPHYLINIDA (Staphylinids in broader sense). The closest relatives of 

 this group again are Scydmaenids (Fam. Scydmaenidaej , Silphids (Families 

 Sllphidae and Anisotomidae) , Ptiliids (Fam. Ptiliidae and Sphaeriidae ) 

 and Histerids (Fam. Histeridae) . In connection with these and a few other 

 smaller families ( Leptinldae , Glambidae , Scaphidiidae ) the family Staphy- 

 linidae belongs to the family series STAPffi LINO IDEA (Staphylinids in broad- 

 est sense), of which the collective mutual characters especially notable 

 are, that the veins in the wings are not connected by transverse veins, 

 but are free running out into the margin of the wings (Fig. 7), and that 

 the elytra most often are more or less abbreviated. Also through the body 



