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Many; see text. |
Omaliinae are a subfamily of rove beetles.
Characteristics
Typical adults are 1.5 to 6 mm long, somewhat broader in shape than are most Staphylinidae, with somewhat longer elytra (without serial punctures), the head with a broad neck, the antennae of 11 articles which are only slightly broader at the apex, and tarsi of five articles. In almost all genera there is a pair of ocelli near the base of the head, and in a few the elytra cover the entire abdomen. The maxillary mala of larvae is strap-shaped, but not as long as in Proteininae, and the mandible lacks a prostheca.
Systematics and evolution
Omaliinae is a large subfamily (comprising over 100 genera),and is divided into the following seven tribes:
Ecology
Adults and larvae occur in leaf litter, decaying fruits, moss, and under bark of dead trees. Adults of several species and larvae of a few occur in flowers. Adults and larvae of many genera and species are believed to be predatory (they will feed on freshly killed small insects), though a few seem to be phytophagous (they damage flowers) or saprophagous (they will feed on decaying fruits).
