Molecular Systematics of Eupines King, Including a New Genus and Notes on New Zealand Brachyglutini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae: Goniaceritae)

Abstract

A phylogenetic reconstruction of the genus Eupines King was conducted with the inclusion of representatives of Brachyglutini from New Zealand, Australia, and New Caledonia. We assembled a dataset consisting of the nuclear large subunit rRNA (28S) gene and the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene from a total of 73 species representing all brachyglutine genera from New Zealand, 13 genera from Australia, six genera from New Caledonia, and three outgroup taxa, in order to infer their phylogenetic relationships. The alignment was partitioned and analyzed using Bayesian and maximum likelihood approaches. The genus Eupines was recovered as monophyletic. We describe a new genus, Pseudeupines, new genus, based on two known species previously placed in Eupines (Pseudeupines grata (Sharp), new combination and Pseudeupines sternalis (Broun), new combination). The two subgenera of Eupines, Eupines King and Byraxis Reitter, were recovered as paraphyletic. Two synonyms are proposed: Gastrobothrus sharpi (Broun) (= Gastrobothrus abdominalis Broun, new synonym) and Pseudeupines grata (Sharp) (= Eupines (Eupines) clemens Broun, new synonym). We provide an identification key to all brachyglutine genera of New Zealand.