Phylogenetic systematics of the rove beetle Platydracus-complex (Staphylinidae: Staphylinini: Staphylinina) with revision of Chinese fauna

This PhD thesis is focused on the phylogenetic and taxonomic studies of the Platydracus group ofgenera of the rove beetle subtribe Staphylinina. It consists of six chapters that are essentiallypublished papers or manuscripts submitted or ready to be submitted to the journals, in four of whichthe PhD student is lead author. One core chapter represents a comprehensive phylogenomic analysisof the Platydracus group of genera using 138 terminal taxa through the Anchored HybridEnrichment (AHE) method. By using phylogenomic and morphological evidence, four new generawere described in this study, along with several genera placed in synonymy. Diagnostic charactersare provided for each genus, along with a key for all genera within the Platydracus group. Anothercore chapter is a comprehensive taxonomic revision of the genus Platydracus fauna of China. Itincludes 103 species grouped into 13 species groups based on morphological and phylogenomicevidence. Of them 62 species are described as new to science, 25 species are synonymized, and for25 species lectotypes are designated. Where possible the revision used DNA barcoding fordelimitation of the morphologically similar species. Habitus, aedeagus, and distribution maps areprovided for nearly all species, and at the end, an identification key to all 109 Platydracus speciesrecorded or expected to occur in China has been constructed. Other chapters of the PhD thesiscomplement the main goals by adding information about immature stages of the Platydracus group,revising a small termitophilous specialized species group of Platydracus from China, describingtwo peculiar new species of the Oriental genus Naddia, or by contributing data for an update of thehigher-level classification of the subfamily Staphylininae where the subtribe Staphylinina belongs.