Three new species and two new records of Helochares (Hydrobaticus) MacLeay, 1871 from China (Coleoptera: Hydrophilidae: Acidocerinae)

Helochares Mulsant, 1844 is a large genus of Hydrophilidae that currently contains about 180 described species. It is distributed in all zoogeographical regions, with the highest species diversity recorded from the Afrotropical, Oriental, Neotropical and Australian regions (Hansen 1999; Short & Hebauer 2006; Short & Fik??ek 2011). Helochares is divided into five subgenera, of these, H. (Sindolus) Sharp, 1882 is known only from the Neotropical region, H. (Helocharimorphus) Kuwert, 1890 and H. (Batochares) Hansen, 1991 only from the Afrotropical region, and H. (Hydrobaticus) Macleay, 1871 and Helochares (s. str.) Mulsant, 1844 are cosmopolitan and generally widespread in all regions. Helochares (Hydrobaticus), which is the largest subgenus, contains more than 110 species. The Chinese fauna of H. (Hydrobaticus) is poorly known. Only six species of this subgenus have been recorded from China (Przewo?ny 2019) In this article we describe three new species and present two new species records of Helochares (Hydrobaticus) collected from four provinces (Hainan, Yunnan, Jiangxi and Jilin) in China. The distribution map of the five species Helochares (Hydrobaticus) MacLeay, 1871 is the largest subgenus of Helochares Mulsant, 1844. The Chinese fauna of Helochares (Hydrobaticus) is still poorly known. Five species are recognized, including three herein described as new: Helochares (Hydrobaticus) hainanensis sp. n. (Hainan); H. wuzhifengensis sp. n. (Jiangxi); H. tengchongensis sp. n. (Yunnan). Helochares minor d?Orchymont, 1925 and H. nipponicus Hebauer, 1995 are recorded from China for the first time. Descriptions, diagnoses, and illustrations of the new species are given. Habitus and aedeagus photos of the new Helochares (Hydrobaticus) MacLeay, 1871 is the largest subgenus of Helochares Mulsant, 1844. The Chinese fauna of Helochares (Hydrobaticus) is still poorly known. Five species are recognized, including three herein described as new: Helochares (Hydrobaticus) hainanensis sp. n. (Hainan); H. wuzhifengensis sp. n. (Jiangxi); H. tengchongensis sp. n. (Yunnan). Helochares minor d?Orchymont, 1925 and H. nipponicus Hebauer, 1995 are recorded from China for the first time. Descriptions, diagnoses, and illustrations of the new species are given. Habitus and aedeagus photos of the new record species are provided.