Family Staphylinidae
The number of species in this family is estimate to be between 27,00 and 47,000 making this a very large and diverse family of beetles. Most species are brown or black and have functional wings, though they are often short compared to the body size. They often feed on decaying matter with most feeding on invertebrates. Very few in this family are herbivores. Some species will run with their abdomen curled upward similar to a scorpion.
