Biology, Morphology, and Systematics of the Ant-Like Litter Beetle Genera of Australia (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae)

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The genera of ant-like litter beetles (Pselaphinae, Staphylinidae) are treated for Australia. This group is a diverse group of small beetles, that are typically associated with leaf litter and rotten wood. They exhibit some promise as indicators of old-growth forests. Monophyly of the group is indicated by their unique foveal system. The foveae and other features useful for systematics and identification are characterized and illustrated.

The subfamily, supertribes, tribes, and subtribes relevant to the Australian fauna are defined, and fifteen new tribal/subtribal synonymies are determined: Bibloporina Park (=Bibloporellina Jeannel, 1952a:92), Brachyglutina Raffray (=Globina Jeannel, 1959:471; Halorabyxina Leleup, 1969:138; Pselaptina Park, 1976:48), Ctenistini Blanchard (=Petanopini Jeannel, 1954c: 102), Iniocyphina Park (=Dalmodina Park, 1951:61), Panaphantina Jearmel (=AcetaHini Jeatmel, 1958:81; Bibloplectina Jeatmel, 1959:110; Trisignina Park and Schuster, 1955:1), Somatipionini Jeannel (=Hamotina Park, 1951:67), Trichonychina Reitter (=Raffrayiina Jeannel, 1949:76; Chrestomerina Jeannel, 1962:344; Pteracmini Jearmel, 1962:347; Trimiodytina Jeannel, 1964:39), Tyrini Reitter (=Chalcoplectini, Oke 1925:13, Ceophyllini Park, 1951:67). The Bythinoplectitae (Newton and Thayer, 1995:305) is here subsumed within the Euplectitae. There is considerable reduction in the subtribal and tribal names used within the Euplectitae, with the remaining subtribes defined primarily on the basis of their foveal patterns. A key to the supertribes is presented, and within the treatments of each supertribe or tribe there is a key to the Australian genera included.

A diagnosis and complete characterization is presented for each of the 163 genera now known from Australia. The habitus and male genitalia are figured for an appropriate species of each of the genera (only the habitus is given for genera based on species known only from female holotypes). All new genera have the type species figured, as do most of the genera originally based on Australian species. Genera based on type species from other countries have one of the more common Australian species figured. The known biological data for each group is elucidated, the relationships of each genus are discussed, and the species included in each genus are listed with their known distributions.

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