A REVIEW OF THE SPECIES OF NITIDOTACHINUS NEW GENUS (COLEOPTERA, STAPHYLINIDAE, TACHYPORINAE)

A new genus, Nitidotachinus, is described in the subfamily Tachyporinae (Staphylinidae) to include the species formerly placed in the Tachyporoides and Impunctatus groups of Tachinus Gravenhorst and Tachinus excellens Bernhauer. The new genus includes 10 species, all previously described, from North America, Japan, China, and Taiwan. All major diagnostic characters for the genus are compared with those of Tachinus and illustrated with scanning electron photomicrographs or line drawings. The following new combinations are created by transferring the species from Tachinus to the new genus Nitidotachinus: N. adachii (Watanabe and Shibata), N. agilis (Horn), N. excellens (Bernhauer), N. horni (Campbell), N. impunctatus (Sharp), N. lanei (Hatch), N. sawadai (Watanabe and Shibata), N. scrutator (Gemminger and Harold), N. tachyporoides (Horn), and N. taiwanensis (Shibata). The 10 species of the genus are redescribed; the aedeagus is illustrated for all species, except N. excellens Bernhauer, known only from a unique female. A key is provided to aid in distinguishing the species and the phylogenetic relationships of the species of the genus are discussed.