A world generic revision of Quediini (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Staphylininae), part 1. Early diverging Nearctic lineages

Abstract

Several phylogenetically isolated, early diverging lineages of rove beetle tribe Quediini, all endemic to the western Nearctic, have recently been revealed by phylogenomic systematics. These three lineages, currently treated as either Quedius (Raphirus) or Q. (Paraquedius) warrant recognition at the genus level in the ongoing effort to achieve reciprocal monophyly of genera in Quediini. The three lineages were each morphologically studied in detail, with the following results: Paraquedius Casey, stat. res. is re-elevated to genus rank, Quediellus Casey, stat. res. is resurrected from synonymy and redefined, and Iratiquedius gen. nov. is described for the species of the Amabilis and Prostans groups. A morphological diagnosis is provided for each genus at both the global and regional (Nearctic) level. Species level revisions, with keys, are provided for Iratiquedius, Paraquedius, and Quediellus with the following results: Iratiquedius uncifer sp. nov. and Paraquedius marginicollis sp. nov. are described, Quediellus nanulus Casey is treated as syn. nov. of Quediellus debilis (Horn), and I. amabilis (Smetana), I. mutator (Smetana), and P. puncticeps (Horn) are substantially redefined. Where possible, CO1 barcode sequence data are integrated with the morphological species concepts used herein and their clusters were found to be congruent.