Cyrtoquediini (as recently redefined by Brunke et al. (2021)) can be recognized among other Staphylininae based on the following combination of characters: microsculpture on disc of head and pronotum absent; obvious presence of both posterior frontal and basal punctures (Brunke et al., 2019: fig. 1); profemora with apical row of lateroventral spines (near joint with protibia) (Brunke et al. 2021: fig. 8B); protibia without subapical notch (Brunke et al. 2021: fig. 8C); metatarsomeres 1–4 flattened and trapezoidal, not elongate and cylindrical. Most genera in Cyrtoquediini can also be recognized by the unique row of coarse, impressed setose punctures on the elytral epipleuron (Brunke et al. 2016: fig. 4).

Mogok [= Ruby Mines], Mandalay, Myanmar

Thailand: Chiang Rai: Wiang Pa Pao District [no specific locality], 17–21.V.2015, K. Takahashi (1 male, aedeagus missing, cHay).

Only one species of Alesiella is known and can be recognized by characters in the above key to genera. The specimen from Thailand does not differ from the type material (previously studied by the author), though the aedeagus was lost during mounting (Y. Hayashi, pers. comm.).

Myanmar and Thailand (new country record).

Nothing is known about this species’ microhabitat preferences but it probably occurs under the bark of dead trees in the earlier fermentation states of decay, as does its sister group Quediomacrus.

The above specimen is a new record of the genus and species from Thailand, and represents the first available material in more than 130 years (since 1890). The above record also indicates that the species is certainly still extant and rather widespread, though its elevational range remains unknown. Although the type series only bears the information ‘Ruby Mines, Doherty’, the diaries of William Doherty (reproduced in Hartert 1901) indicate that they were collected somewhere along the route (1150–1800 m) between the towns of Mogok (= ‘Ruby Mines’) and Bernardmyo, during 1890. This montane rainforest elevational range is compatible with the general locality of the specimen from Thailand.

Sundaquedius abbreviatus Brunke, sp. nov.

The generic name refers to the Sunda Plate and Quedius, with which members of this genus and closely related genus Cyrtoquedius were associated with for a long time. Much of the Sunda Plate is currently below sea level but had connected terrestrial species on Borneo, Sumatra, Java and the present southeast Asian mainland in multiple episodes, from about the Eocene to as recently as the Pleistocene (e.g., Inger and Voris 2001). Noun in apposition.

Among other Oriental Cyrtoquediini, Sundaquedius is easily recognized by a combination of the large eyes (more than 3 × as long as temples) (Fig. 1B, E), incomplete infraorbital ridge and elytra with rows of setose punctures. It can be distinguished from its putative close relatives Cyrtoquedius and Parisanopus by any one of: more than one puncture in the dorsal row of the pronotum (Fig. 1C, F), two or more parocular punctures on the head (Fig. 1B, E), the incomplete infraorbital ridge and presence of peg setae on the paramere (Fig. 2B).

Figure 1. 

Sundaquedius Brunke A–C S. nigropolitus (Cameron) D–F S. abbreviatus Brunke A, D habitus B, E dorsal head, arrows indicating anterior and posterior frontal punctures, asterisks indicating parocular punctures C, F dorsal pronotum, arrows indicating punctures of the dorsal row. Scale bars: 1 mm.

With the character states of Cyrtoquediini (see Brunke et al. 2021) and the following: head with basal puncture present but not doubled; two or three parocular punctures present; antennae non-geniculate, antennomeres 1–3 sparsely pubescent and without tomentose pubescence, antennomere 4 with some tomentose pubescence but much sparser than 5; labrum with two usual lobes and moderately incised median emargination; apical maxillary and labial palpi fusiform, apical labial palpomere with sparse, short setae; mandibles slender in apical half and markedly broad in basal half, bearing a single proximal tooth; gular sutures convergent, separate but running extremely close in basal half; infraorbital ridge/nuchal ridge incomplete, reaching ~ 1/3 to 1/2 the distance to mandible base; pronotum strongly convex, non-explanate and slightly elongate, with 2–8 punctures in the dorsal row, ‘second’ puncture present; basisternum with pair of macrosetae at middle; mesoscutellum glabrous and without micropunctures; disc of elytra without microsculpture and glabrous, except for three rows of coarse setose macropunctures (one sutural, two discal), rows slightly disorganized due to extra punctures in S. nigropolitus; elytra with epipleuron bearing row of coarse, setose macropunctures, epipleuron with additional rows and clusters of coarse setae; epipleural margin not thickened; mesocoxae contiguous; metatibia spinose, with three spines on outer face, inner face without spines; pro- and metatarsomeres with setae on disc, setae not restricted to margins; metatarsomere 4 with ventral setae distinctly interrupted medially and removed from apical margin; abdominal tergite IV with impression but punctures only slightly more impressed, not markedly coarser in impression (as in Bolitogyrus); abdominal sternite III with basal transverse line sharply produced posteriad forming an acute angle at middle; abdominal sternite IV with basal transverse line not produced; aedeagus with single fused paramere bearing well-developed peg setae, internal sac with ventral, paired copulatory sclerites, with an additional sclerotized structure similar to dorsal copulatory piece, but singular, and more weakly sclerotized compared to Cyrtoquedius or Parisanopus, and held within spinose internal sac.

Figure 2. 

Sundaquedius Brunke A–F S. abbreviatus Brunke G S. nigropolitus (Cameron) A aedeagus, ventral view B apex of paramere, underside C aedeagus, lateral view (paramere removed) D male tergite X E male sternite IX F, G female tergite X. Scale bars: 0.25 mm (A–C); 0.5 mm (D–G).

Sundaquedius is presently known only from central Vietnam and East Java but likely occurs at medium elevations across southeast Asia, west of Wallace’s line.

Nothing is known about the bionomics of this genus, except that both species were collected in lower montane forests (700–1500 m). Sundaquedius might be collected by sifting moist litter, like many species of the related genus Cyrtoquedius.

In recent phylogenomic analyses, Sundaquedius was recovered as the sister group of Nearctic/Neotropical genus Cyrtoquedius with high support, though few genera of Cyrtoquediini were included in the taxon sample (Brunke et al. 2021). Sundaquedius is probably most closely related to Cyrtoquedius, or perhaps Cyrtoquedius+Parisanopus, based on morphological similarity (see above key).

Blawan [sometimes ‘Belawan’], Ijen Plateau [no specific locality, ca. -7.98, 114.17], Bondowoso Regency, East Java, Indonesia.

Holotype (female, NMUK): Type [circular label with red border] / leg H. Lucht, K.O. Blawan, Idjen-Plateau [Ijen Plateau] Java, 900-1500 mr., 12.I.1934 [printed label] / Q. nigropolitus Type Cameron [handwritten] / M. Cameron, Bequest, B.M. 1955-147. [printed label] / AJB0001486 [printed label] / HOLOTYPE Quedius nigropolitus Cameron, det. A. Brunke 2021 [red label] / Sudaquedius nigropolitus (Cameron) [white label], det. A. Brunke 2021

Sundaquedius nigropolitus can be easily recognized by the dorsal rows of the pronotum, which have seven or eight punctures in each row. The only other known species is allopatric.

Measurements ♀ (n = 1): HW/HL 1.23; PW/PL 0.94; EW/EL 1.06; PW/HW 1.13; forebody length 4.8 mm.

Body highly glossy, entirely black, except for yellowish brown apical antennomere, tarsi and apical maxillary and labial palpomeres, abdomen with iridescent sheen ranging from violet to blue.

Head distinctly transverse, with two or three additional punctures mediad of posterior frontal puncture (Fig. 1B). Antennomeres 1–3 elongate, 4 subquadrate, 5 and 6 weakly transverse, 7–10 strongly transverse, 10 ~ 2 × as wide as long. Pronotum slightly elongate with seven or eight punctures in the dorsal row, with additional groups of scattered punctures between dorsal and sublateral rows, and between sublateral row and lateral margin (Fig. 1C). Elytra transverse, with additional scattered punctures between the two discal rows (Fig. 1A). Abdominal tergites III–IV with distinct basal impression, tergites III–V with median or medioapical glabrous or sparsely punctate areas, these areas successively becoming smaller toward the apex; abdominal punctures generally coarse, nearly all separated by at least their diameters; tergites with exceedingly fine and dense microsculpture of transverse waves.

Male unknown. Female with tergite X triangular, with slightly narrowed but broadly rounded apex, apical half with many long setae (Fig. 2G).

Known only from the type locality in East Java, which is at the northern edge of the plateau.

Nothing is known about this species’ microhabitat preferences.

The holotype of this species was one of the few specimens included from East Java in Cameron’s (1937) ‘Fauna Javanica’. This region is still extremely poorly collected for Staphylinidae, even more so than West or Central Java.

35 km north of An Khê, near Buôn Lưới village, Gia Lai, Vietnam [ca. 14.32, 108.58].

Holotype (male, CNC): Vietnam, 35 km N An Khe, Buon Luoi, 2.VII.1984 / AJB0001487 [white label] / HOLOTYPE Sundaquedius abbreviatus Brunke, des. A. Brunke 2021 [red label] Paratypes (5, ZIN): same data as the holotype but with labels: PARATYPE Sundaquedius abbreviatus Brunke, des. A. Brunke 2021 [yellow label]. Identifiers: AJB0001334, AJB0001488–1491

The species epithet means ‘shortened’ or ‘reduced’, and refers to the shorter dorsal rows of punctures on the pronotum compared to S. nigropolitus.

Sundaquedius abbreviatus can be distinguished by the presence of only two or three punctures in the dorsal row of the pronotum.

Measurements. Male (n = 2): HW/HL 1.30–1.35; PW/PL 1.06–1.08; EW/EL 1.22–1.24; PW/HW 1.14–1.19; forebody length 4.9–5.4 mm. Female (n = 4): HW/HL 1.25–1.29; PW/PL 1.03–1.10; EW/EL 1.13–1.15; PW/HW 1.21–1.23; forebody length 4.7–5.0 mm.

Similar to S. nigropolitus and differing only in the following: antennomeres dark except apical three segments paler, becoming successively paler to antennal apex; maxillary and labial palpi paler, entirely medium reddish brown; head, without additional punctures between named punctures, distinctly transverse, more so in males, head also broader relative to pronotum in males; antennae overall more robust, with apical segments less strongly transverse; pronotum slightly to distinctly transverse, with two or three punctures in the dorsal row, third puncture, when present, smaller, sometimes rudimentary and without seta; elytra more transverse than in S. nigropolitus, and even more so in males, with two discal rows and without scattered additional punctures; abdominal tergites III and IV with distinct impressions, V with only vague impression; abdominal punctation slightly denser but punctures generally still well separated.

Male with sternite VII broadly but shallowly emarginate; sternite VIII with slightly deeper emargination and distinct, triangular impressed and glabrous area; tergite X elongate, with distinct shallow emargination, with many long setae at apex (Fig. 2D); sternite IX with bulky, asymmetrical base, apex deeply emarginate (Fig. 2E); median lobe of aedeagus in ventral view subparallel sided, narrowing to rounded, acute apex, paramere with broad base, becoming slender to strongly acute apex (Fig. 2A); median lobe in lateral view with nearly straight ventral face, with short, rounded apical part (Fig. 2C); apex of paramere with short, sparse paired row of marginal peg setae (Fig. 2B); aedeagus with ventral paired copulatory sclerites broadest at base and strongly narrowed to sharp apex. Female tergite X similar to that of S. nigropolitus but with slightly narrower apex (Fig. 2F).

Known only from the type locality in the central highlands of Vietnam.

Nothing specific is known about this species but the type locality is at approximately 700–800 m, so this species likely occurs elsewhere in lower montane forests of central Vietnam and possibly adjacent Cambodia.

Indoquediini (as recently redefined by Brunke et al. (2021)) can be recognized among other Staphylininae by the combination of: head with obvious presence of both posterior frontal and basal punctures (Brunke et al. 2019: fig. 1); protibiae subapically with distinct and unique notch (Brunke et al. 2021: fig. 8C); all antennomeres longer than wide.

Fluviphirus elevatus (Hatch), comb. nov.

The generic name is a combination of the Latin word fluvium (river, stream) and Raphirus (a subgenus of Quedius), where the only species of Fluviphirus was previously classified and to which it bears a superficial resemblance. Noun in apposition.

Among other Indoquediini, Fluviphirus is easily recognized by the combination of meshed microsculpture on the forebody and the absence of interocular punctures on the head. It is also the only genus of Nearctic Indoquediini.

With the character states of Indoquediini (see Brunke et al. 2021) and the following: disc of head and pronotum with meshed microsculpture; eyes moderately convex, not strongly bulging, large, distinctly larger than temples (Fig. 3A); head with single basal puncture, interocular punctures absent, temples with numerous smaller punctures, with single parocular puncture; antennomere 3 with dense but not tomentose pubescence; apical maxillary palpomere glabrous; penultimate labial palpomere with brush of dense setae (but sparser than that of Indoquedius); pronotum with two punctures in dorsal row, ‘second’ puncture present (Fig. 3A); postcoxal process fused across inferior marginal line; elytra with sub-basal ridge reduced to horizontal fragment, with evidence of mesoscutellar collar; humeral spines absent; protibia without lateral spines (Fig. 3A); metatibia with only two thin spines on outer face (Fig. 3A); pretarsi of all legs with one pair of empodial setae; abdominal sternite III with basal transverse carina produced posteriad at a sharp angle.

Figure 3. 

Fluviphirus elevatus (Hatch) A habitus B aedeagus, ventral view C aedeagus, lateral view D apex of paramere, underside E male tergite X F male sternite IX G female tergite X. Scale bars: 1 mm (A); 0.5 mm (B–C, E–G); 0.25 mm (D).

Western North America, broadly distributed along the western cordilleras at a variety of elevations.

The single species of Fluviphirus is strongly associated with debris along the margins of rivers and larger creeks.

Smetana (1971a) placed Q. elevatus in its own species group as it was “quite isolated within the subgenus [Quedius (Raphirus)]”. The subgenus Raphirus remains a convenient dumping ground for many unrelated taxa (Brunke et al. 2021) because of its broad definition, with many plesiomorphic character states, including the absence of certain features typical of other clades within Quediini. Recent phylogenomic analyses recovered Q. elevatus as a member of Indoquediini, as the sister group of either Strouhalium (coalescent analyses) or Indoquedius (concatenated analyses). Fluviphirus shares a number of character states with both genera but more densely sampled, total evidence analyses are needed to determine its sister group.

Snoqualmie, Washington, United States.

The type material of this distinctive species was not examined.

Canada: British Columbia: 8 mi W Creston, ex. river debris, 10.VI.1968, J.M. Campbell & A. Smetana (8, CNC); 20 mi E Hope, ex. river debris, 3.VI.1968, J.M. Campbell & A. Smetana (1, CNC); 4 mi W Midway, ex. river debris, 6.VI.1968, J.M. Campbell & A. Smetana (6, CNC); 16 mi W Osoyoos, ex. river debris, 5.VI.1968, J.M. Campbell & A. Smetana (1, CNC); Paulson, beaver house, 7.VI.1968, J.M. Campbell & A. Smetana (1, CNC); 4 mi W Rossland, 9.VI.1968, J.M. Campbell & A. Smetana (2, CNC); 2 mi S Salmo, ex. river debris, 9.VI.1968, J.M. Campbell & A. Smetana (3, CNC); 2 mi E Burnt Flats [Burnt Flat Junction], 9.VI.1968 (2, CNC). United States: California: Marin Co., Lagunitas Creek at Tocaloma, 18.III.1983, A. Smetana (17, CNC); same except 19.III.1983 (6, CNC). Oregon: Union Co., Blue Mts., Phillips Creek Road, 9 km NW Elgin (2, CNC).

As given above for the genus.

The species was redescribed by Smetana (1971a) but this is here supplemented with additional characters specific to the male and female: male with sternite VII unmodified; sternite VIII with broad shallow emargination; tergite X constricted in apical half, with weakly emarginate apex, apical half with short fine setae on lateral parts of disc and strong, coarse setae along apical margin (Fig. 3E); sternite IX with moderately slender, asymmetrical base, elongate with deep and narrow emargination (Fig. 3F); median lobe of aedeagus in ventral view narrowed to sharp apex, apical portion with longitudinal median excavation (Fig. 3B), paramere with broad base, with elongate triangular apical part and narrow apex (Fig. 3B); aedeagus in lateral view with paramere swollen, slightly deflexed dorsad, median lobe sinuate, narrow, with fin-like apex (Fig. 3C); apex of paramere with longitudinal, median cluster of peg setae, extended basad on slight ridge (Fig. 3D). Female with tergite X narrowly elongate, with two-pronged apex, prongs separated by U-shaped emargination (Fig. 3G).

Canada: BC. United States: CA, ID, NV, OR, WA

Smetana (1971a, b) reported this species from debris near water, especially along larger creeks and rivers. Longer series were found in river drift left behind after periods of high water levels. Several specimens have been found in beaver houses, but it is not known whether they regularly occur there.

The paratype specimens mentioned by Hatch (1957) from Lenore, Idaho and Pullman, Washington were not examined but indicate this species’ distribution is rather broad across the entire Western Cordillera. The occurrence of F. elevatus along large river banks at a wide range of elevations suggests a single broadly distributed species. Specimens from California were paler than most of those from British Columbia and Oregon but no consistent differences were observed in the aedeagus.