Hi, I hope you can help. I found this bug in my bedroom by the sliding glass door, my cat was checking it out. It was in a defensive position with its tail up such as a scorpion would strike, the tip of the tail had two white fang like points sticking out. My 5 year old saw one upstairs in his room and we don't know if it is the same one, or if they are a dangerous bug. Please let us know if you know what it is. It is all black about 1 inch long.
This is a rove beetle (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), and is dangerous only to the other small arthropods upon which it preys. Rove beetles often raise their abdomen in a threat posture when disturbed, but they cannot sting. The worst that a specimen like this can do is to give a sharp nip with its mandibles if you pick it up carelessly.
