A Taxonomic Study On The Genus Lesteva Of China(Coleoptera:Staphylinidae:Omaliinae)

Staphylinidae is one of the largest family in Coleoptera, they occupy a wide varietyof habitats and have a wide range of food-habits. They are essentially carnivorous(insect feeder), but some groups have become evolved as mycophagous, coprophagous,coprophagous, carpophagous, pollinophagous and so on. Some species have adapted toa parasitism of mammals. Their prosperity is inevitably causing direct interactionbetween them and mankind.Lesteva is one of the largest genera of the subfamily Omaliinae in the familyStaphylinidae. It was established by Latreille in 1797. Latreille (1802) designatedCarabus abbreviatus Fabricius as the type species for the genus, Herman (2001)designated Carabus abbreviatus Fabricius as the type species for the genus again. Up tothe present 98 species of the genus have been known from the world. They are mainlydistributed in the Palaearctic and Oriental Region. There are 16 species known in China.In China, however, taxonomic study on this genus is relatively behind and onlysome of scholars separately studied on this field. Up to the present, systematic worksconcerning Chinese Lesteva has not been made, All the Chinese known species weredescribed by foreign scholars and the type specimens were deposited in foreigncountries. For these reasons, it became difficulty for us to study Chinese Lesteva fauna.This study was based on the examinations of over 306 specimens, which werecollected from a lot of places in China such as Zhejiang, Shaanxi, Hubei, and so on. Theresults of my research is summarized as follows:1. This paper was the first systematic study of the genus Lesteva of China.2. In the present paper, 18 Chinese species of the genus were recognized, of which 9 species were described as new to science. The male of Lesteva septemmaculata and Lesteva rufimarginata were found and described for the first time (1 new species have already been published and 1 new species have been recieved).3. All the species were described in detail, and their sexual characters were illustrated. The color photos for every species were also provided. The history review, collecting techniques, and major diagnostic characters of the genus were discussed.4. The keys to the subgenera and the species of the genus were presented.5. A catalog of the genus Lesteva of world was given.6. A database of all the known species of the genus Lesteva in the world was built.Abstracts of the New Species in This Paper 19. Lesteva hydrophiloe sp. nov.(Fig. 3, Plate I-B) This new species different from the other species of the genes by the characters: the patch on each elytron is very small; tarsi is yellow and the other part of the leg is black. Holotype ♂, Longwangshan (alt. 300~500m), Zhejiang Prov., 24. IV. 2004, Chenjing leg. 20. Lesteva muyuica sp. nov.(Fig. 6, Plate II-A) The aedeagus of the new species is very similar to that of Lesteva huabeiensis Rougemont (2001), but can be distinguished from the latter by the following characters: the color of the body is more black; one pair of setae of parameres situated in middle of apex of parameres, not in outboard. Holotype ♂, Muyu, Shennongjia, Hubei Prov., 3. XI. 2004, Li Li-zhen leg. 21. Lesteva cale sp. nov. (Fig. 9, Plate II-D) The aedeagus of the new species is very similar to that of Lesteva nivalis described by Rougemont (2001), but can be distinguished from the latter by the following characters: each elytron provided with a large reddish patch; Adbomen with two pair of tomentose patches evident on first two exposed tergites. Holotype: ♂ Longwangshan, Zhejiang Prov., 24 Apr. 2004, Zhu Jingwen leg. Paratypes: 1♂, 2♀♀, same data as holotype; 2♂♂, Tianmushan, Linan City, Zhejiang Prov., 2. May 2001, Hu Jiayao leg.; 2♂♂, Longwangshan, Zhejiang Prov., 24 Apr. 2004, Hu Jiayao leg; 2♂♂, 2♀♀, Longwangshan, Zhejiang Prov., 24 Apr. 2004, Chen Jing leg; 5♂♂, Longwangshan, Zhejiang Prov., 24 Apr. 2004, Li Xinjin leg; 7♂♂, 4♀♀, Longwangshan, Zhejiang Prov., 24 Apr. 2004, Tang Liang leg; 1♂, 3♀♀, Longwangshan, Zhejiang Prov., 24 Apr. 2004, Huang Jiajie and Chi Yihui leg; 1♂, 3♀♀, Longwangshan, Zhejiang Prov., 24 Apr. 2004, Zhu Lilong leg; 4♂♂, 5♀♀, Longwangshan, Zhejiang Prov., 25 Apr. 2004, Tang Liang leg; 3♀♀, Longwangshan, Zhejiang Prov., 25 Apr. 2004, Zhu Jingwen leg; 1♀, Longwangshan, Zhejiang Prov., 25 Apr. 2004, Hu Jiayao leg; 1♀, Longwangshan, Zhejiang Prov., 25 Apr. 2004, Chen Jing leg; 1♀, Longwangshan, Zhejiang Prov., 24 Apr. 2004, Zhu Lilong leg; 4♂♂, 5♀♀, Longwangshan, Zhejiang Prov., 23 Apr. 2004, Zhu Lilong leg; 4 ♂♂ , 1 ♀ ,Longwangshan, Zhejiang Prov., 23 Apr. 2004, Zhu Jingwen leg; 3♂♂, 4♀♀,Longwangshan, Zhejiang Prov., 23 Apr. 2004, Tang Liang leg; 1♂, Longwangshan,Zhejiang Prov., 23 Apr. 2004, Chen Jing leg; 1♂, Longwangshan, Zhejiang Prov., 26Apr. 2004, Li Xinjin and Hu Jiayao leg; 1♂, 1♀, Baishanzu conservation, ZhejiangProv., 5 May 2004, Hu Jiayao & Tang liang & Zhu Lilong leg.22. Lesteva ochra sp. nov. (Fig.10, Plate III-A) The present new species is similar to Lesteva elegantula Rougemont (2001) fromChina, but can be distinguished from the latter by the following characters: bodysmaller and testaceous; eighth sternite (Fig. 2) with apical margin nearly straight. Holotype: ♂Longwangshan, Zhejiang Prov., 24-IV-2004, Zhu Lilong leg.Paratypes: 1♂, 2♀♀, same locality as holotype, 23-IV-2004, Tang Liang leg.; 1♀,same locality and date as holotype, Hu Jiayao leg.; 1♂, 1♀, Mt. Tianmu, LinAn city,Zhejiang Prov., 2-V-2001, Song Chenzu leg.23. Lesteva jinghoulingensis sp. nov.(Fig.11, Plate III-B) This new species is similar to Lesteva huabeiensis Rougemont (2001) fromPanshan, Beijing City, but can be readily distinguished from the latter by the followingcharacters: the patch on each elytron larger; the puncture shallower. Holotype ♂, Jinghouling, Shennongjia, Hubei Prov., 4. VIII. 2002, Li & Tang leg.24. Lesteva erythra sp. nov.(Fig. 14, Plate IV-A) The present new species seems to be similar to the species Lesteva balearica(Lohse) known from Majorca, eastern spain, but can be readily distinguished from thelatter by the following features: aedeagus with relatively narrow lateral lobes; four setaeat the apical part of lateral labes of aedeagus. Holotype: ♂Longwangshan (950-1200m alt.), Zhejiang Prov., 25 Apr. 2004, ZhuJingwen leg. Paratypes: 10♂♂, 8♀♀, same data as holotype; 6♂♂, 6♀♀,Longwangshan (950-1200m alt.), Zhejiang Prov., 25 Apr. 2004, Tang Liang leg.; 5♂♂,5♀♀, Longwangshan (950-1200m alt.), Zhejiang Prov., 25 Apr. 2004, Zhu Lilong leg.;2♀♀, Longwangshan (950-1200m alt.), Zhejiang Prov., 25 Apr. 2004, Li Xinjin leg.; 1♂, 2♀♀, Longwangshan (950-1200m alt.), Zhejiang Prov., 25 Apr. 2004, Chen Jingleg.; 11♂♂, 4♀♀, Longwangshan (350-500m alt.), Zhejiang Prov., 24 Apr. 2004, ZhuJingwen leg.; 2♂♂, Longwangshan (350-500m alt.), Zhejiang Prov., 24 Apr. 2004, Li...