<i>Alesiella</i> <scp>gen.n</scp> . and a newly discovered relict lineage of <scp>S</scp> taphylinini ( <scp>C</scp> oleoptera: <scp>S</scp> taphylinidae)

Abstract

Abstract This study aimed to identify the sister group of the poorly known and morphologically isolated B urmese species Quedius lineipennis within the tribe S taphylinini ( S taphylinidae: S taphylininae) using morphological characters. Phylogenetic analysis of a broad taxon sample demonstrated that this Asian species is not a member of the genus Quedius but forms the sister taxon to the Neotropical genus Quediomacrus . Both taxa were shown to be members of a hitherto unrecognized lineage with a highly disjunct distribution. The lineage is hypothesized to be A sian in origin, with dispersals to the A mericas during the early Eocene climatic maximum via B eringia and to A ustralia via land connections in the late Miocene. The current distribution of the lineage is considered to be relictual. New phylogenetic hypotheses within ‘ Q uediina’ and S taphylinini as a whole are proposed and the general tree topology of S taphylinini recovered by recent morphological studies is refined. Phylogenetic relationships within the Quedius complex remain unclear. Alesiella B runke and S olodovnikov gen.n. , is erected for Quedius lineipennis and the Quedius subgenus Quedionuchus is reinstated to genus level with new combinations as follows: Quedionuchus atl ( S metana, 1975), comb.n. ; Quedionuchus calli ( S metana, 1976), comb.n. ; Quedionuchus cipactli ( S metana, 1976), comb.n. ; Quedionuchus coatl ( S metana, 1976), comb.n. ; Quedionuchus ehacatl ( S metana, 1976), comb.n. ; Quedionuchus ollin ( S metana, 1976), comb.n. ; Quedionuchus ozomatli ( S metana, 1975), comb.n. ; Quedionuchus reitterianus ( B ernhauer, 1944), comb.n. ; Quedionuchus samuraicus ( B ernhauer and S chubert, 1916), comb.n. ; Quedionuchus schultzei ( S metana, 1975), comb.n. ; Quedionuchus tecpatl ( S metana, 1976), comb.n. ; Quedionuchus xochitl ( S metana, 1976). Quedius lugubris L okay, 1913 is transferred from the subgenus Quedionuchus to the subgenus Distichalius and placed in synonymy: Quedius punctatellus ( H eer, 1839) = Quedius lugubris L okay, 1913, syn.n . This published work has been registered in ZooBank , http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:9C7D3C90‐FCB9‐414F‐911B‐194A1A6602DE .