Megolisthaerus, interpreted as staphylinine rove beetle (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) based on new Early Cretaceous material from China

Megolisthaerus minor sp. nov., a new rove beetle belonging to an unusual extinct genus Megolisthaerus Solodovnikov and Yue is described and figured on the basis of an exceptionally well-preserved specimen from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation at Huangbanjigou, Liaoning Province, China. Based on the better preservation of additional morphological characters in our new specimen (e.g., elongate antennomere 1, presence of distinct infraorbital ridges, 5-segmented pro- and mesotarsi, and abdominal intersegmental membranes with fine and less rectangular sclerites), we herein suggest Megolisthaerus belongs to the Recent subfamily Staphylininae (tribe unknown), rather than a member of, or closely related to, the subfamilies Olisthaerinae and Phloeocharinae of the Tachyporine group of subfamilies. A revised diagnosis of Megolisthaerus is given, and the systematic position of Megolisthaerus within subfamily Staphylininae is discussed. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.