Body is black with 4 parts, back tail was pointed upward before I swatted it.
Commentary
This is a native rove beetle belonging to the very large taxonomic family, Staphylinidae. There are over 3200 species in this family in North America alone! They are predaceous on other insects and mites. They are not a pest nor are they invasive. This particular beetle looks like it belongs to perhaps the Lathrobium genus?
Wyatt Williams
Oct. 15, 2018, 1:07 a.m.