A new species of Hesterniasca (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Tachyporinae) from the Early Cretaceous of China with discussion of its systematic position

Abstract

AbstractA new species of the extinct rove beetle genus Hesterniasca Zhang, Wang & Xu, 1992 is described and illustrated on the basis of a well-preserved specimen from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation at Huangbanjigou of Beipiao City, Liaoning Province, Northeastern China. Based on the examination of this new species that is preserved better than the type species of the genus, Hesterniasca is firmly placed in the recent subfamily Tachyporinae, tentatively in the recent tribe Tachyporini MacLeay, 1825. Arguments for the Early Cretaceous age of the Laiyang Formation in Shandong Province, Eastern China, from where the type species of the genus, Hesterniasca obesa Zhang, Wang & Xu, 1992, has been discovered are provided.