🪲 Rove beetles (family Staphylinidae) possess a unique wing-folding mechanism that differs from most beetles due to their extremely short elytra, which leave much of the abdomen exposed. Unlike beetles with long elytra that fully cover and protect the folded wings, rove beetles must actively manipulate their wings after flight to tuck them back into the limited space beneath the elytra. Their hind wings are long, membranous, and intricately folded in a zigzag pattern to fit into this small area. After landing, the beetle uses specialized abdominal movements—flexing and curling the tip of the abdomen upward and forward—to guide and push the wings into place. This process is aided by the beetle’s remarkable abdominal flexibility, enabled by its segmented exoskeleton and intersegmental membranes.⁠ ⁠ The folding process is partly mechanical and partly behavioral. The beetle first retracts the wings toward the body using muscles at the wing base, then employs the abdomen as a physical tool...