A small black beetle sits on the light green underside of a leaf. It is shiny with small punctures and hairs, and has a tapered abdomen. It's elytra, or wing cover, are short like many other rove beetles.

A small black beetle sits on the light green underside of a leaf, investigating a piece of debris. It is facing the camera with its abdomen pointed up and over itself. The beetle is shiny with small punctures and hairs, and has a tapered abdomen.

A small black beetle sits on the light green underside of a leaf, investigating a piece of debris. It is facing to the right with its abdomen pointed up and over itself. The beetle is shiny with small punctures and hairs, and has a tapered abdomen.

A small black beetle sits on the dark green upper side of a leaf. It is shiny with small punctures and hairs, and has a tapered abdomen. It's elytra, or wing cover, are short like many other rove beetles.

I'm rolling out some older pics I never got around to processing.

Here's one of the smallest (~1mm) rove beetles I've seen. This cutie was found on a rose leaf, associated with its prey, spider mites. I ❤️ how they hold their abdomen up 🥹

#Staphylinidae: cf. #Oligota
Pender Co., North Carolina, USA