Family: Staphylinidae
Subfamily: Paederinae
Length: circa 10 mm
Homaeotarsus strenuus is larger than many other Rove beetles. Key traits include: black head and pale legs. The pronotum, mouthparts, antennae, elytra, and abdomen are reddish brown. The head is wider than the pronotum and has a characteristic shape as seen in the photo. The elytra are wider than the pronotum, and a little longer than the pronotum. The antennae are elbowed. The head, pronotum, and elytra are punctate.Homaeotarsus species are typically found under cover in damp places, including leaf litter. They may be found under bark in situations where the wood has not dried out. Another common Homaeotarsus species found in West Virginia is Homaeotarsus bicolor.
Insects of West Virginia
