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Rove Beetles |
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Rove beetles are completely harmless though their habits make them unappealing. They are found in or near decaying organic matter, especially dead animals. They are beneficial because they clean up the ashes, bones and carcasses of dead and decaying animals. They also eat dung and feed on other insects that are found in decaying matter - such as maggots. When disturbed, the Rove Beetle raises the tip of its abdomen and may squirt a foul-smelling mist at its enemies. Rove beetles are very common insects that usually go unnoticed. They are slender, elongated beetles with the distinctive characteristic of having wing covers (elytra) that are much shorter than the abdomen. The result is that over half of the top surface of the abdomen is exposed. Most rove beetles are black or brown. One
common species has grayish markings on the wings and abdomen. Most rove
beetles are slender and small
(usually less than 3 mm, or
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