Contents: Author's preface, Glossary, Systematic index, Introduction, Characters of the family, Metamorphoses, Structure of the imago, Sculpture, Pubescence, Oecology, Associations, Mimicry, Protective coloration, migration, Swarming,Economic relations, Medical aspects, Sexual dimorphism, Species, classification, Family staphylinidae, Key to the subfamilies, Micropeplinae,Oxytelinae, Oxyporinae, Megalopinae, Steninae, Euaesthetinae, Corrigenda, Addenda, Index.