The rove beetles are a family (Staphylinidae) of beetles, primarily distinguished by their short elytra (wing covers) that typically leave more than half of their abdominal segments exposed. With over 66,000 species in thousands of genera, the group is one of the largest families in the beetle order, and one of the largest families of organisms.

Silphidae is a subfamily of beetles that are known commonly as large carrion beetles, carrion beetles or burying beetles. There are two tribes: Silphini and Nicrophorini. Members of Nicrophorini are sometimes known as burying beetles or sexton beetles. The number of species is relatively small, at around two hundred. They are more diverse in the temperate region although a few tropical endemics are known. Both tribes feed on decaying organic matter such as dead animals. The tribes differ in which uses parental care and which types of carcasses they prefer.