| Jacobsoniidae | |
|---|---|
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| Sarothrias sinicus in various views, scale bar = 0.5 mm | |
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| Saphophagus minutus | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Superfamily: | Staphylinoidea |
| Family: | Jacobsoniidae Heller, 1926 |
| Synonyms | |
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Jacobsoniidae are a family of tiny beetles belonging to Staphylinoidea.[1] The larvae and adults live under bark, in plant litter, fungi, bat guano and rotten wood.[2] There are around 28 described species in three genera:[3]
Members of this family have a small body size (0.7-2.1mm in length).[2] Their bodies are narrow, and are four times as long as they are wide.[2] They are often a yellowish-brown in color.[2]
Members of the group have primarily been found in leaf litter or in rotting wood, but some has have also been found in fungal fruting bodies or bat guano. The biology of members of this group is essentially unknown.[4]
Their taxonomic position has long been controversial, originally they were placed in Dermestoidea, before being considered Polyphaga incertae sedis. They were later placed in the Staphylinoidea, which is supported by characters of the wing venation as well as the morphology of the larval galea of the maxillae.[4]
Members of this family have been found in Alabama, Florida, South America, Central America, Polynesia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and Asia.[2][3]
