Th e first Staphylinidae species described, named and classified in the 10th edition of “Systema Naturae” by Carl Linné (Linnaeus) was Staphylinus hirtus, i.e. presently Emus hirtus (Linnaeus, 1758). Along with 18 other species, classified by the author to one genus Staphylinus, these taxa provided a certain foundation for the further classification of Staphylinidae. At present these species are classified to 15 genera, among others from the subfamilies Staphylininae (genera Emus, Ontholestes, Creophilus, Staphylinus, Philonthus, Quedius), as well as Oxyporinae, Paederinae, Tachyporinae, Steninae, Aleocharinae and Omaliinae. Carl Linnaeus in the next years (1761 and 1767) described seven other species. In the period from mid-18th century to the end of the 20th century (specifically in the years 1758–2000) a total of 45 700 Staphylinidae species were described, which accounted for 14% of all beetles and 5% of all animals. In turn, only within the 20 years of the 21st century the number of described Staphylinidae species increased to 63 000, which makes this family of beetles one of the most speciose families worldwide, not only among insects, but all animals.
[from the Introduction]
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