The story
From rove (“to roam; a roam”) + beetle, in reference to the family's scavenging tendencies.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
rove beetle
Today it means: Any of various carnivorous or scavenging beetles of the family Staphylinidae that are often found in decaying matter and have slender bodies and short wing covers. Full definition →