Rove beetle

5830   Hi I have been using stinky boards to capture roaming creatures into my garage. I get the usual wood bugs , millipedes and various spiders. This one to the left has me concerned. I have caught a few in the last month or two. Is this a termite ??

This is a rove beetle (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), these are general predators on other small arthropods, mostly other insects. Unlike most other beetles, the vast majority of rove beetles have very short wing covers and quite flexible abdomens. See http://tinyurl.com/zukwwvo for some examples. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.