Evolutionary systematics of the Staphylininae rove beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) resolved by integration of phylogenomics, comparative morphology and historical biogeography

Abstract Based on a phylogenomic analysis, we here update the higher classification of the rove beetle subfamily Staphylininae, an insect mega‐lineage comprising over 9000 described species. All established or newly proposed higher taxa are statistically robust and biogeographically plausible monophyla identified by morphological characters, many of which are putative synapomorphies. Novel molecular and morphological evidence corroborate the previously challenged broad concept of Staphylininae, and the newly proposed division of Staphylinini into the tribes Staphylinini stat. rev. and Tanygnathinini stat. rev. Our fossil‐calibrated dating of the phylogeny revealed consistent temporal congruence between major cladogenetic events and plate tectonics throughout the Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras; for example, the divergence of Tanygnathinini stat. rev. from Staphylinini stat. rev. is contemporaneous with the break‐up of Pangea, and the first divergence within Tanygnathinini stat. rev. coincides with the separation of South America and Africa. Similarly manifold evidence, including the evaluated performance of the alternative statistical phylogenetic models, supports all proposed new subtribes: Ctenandropina subtrib. nov. and Nitidocolpina subtrib. nov. within Tanygnathinini; Descarpentriesiellina subtrib. nov. and Valdiviodina subtrib. nov. within Staphylinini. Keys, diagnoses and descriptions are provided for all involved higher taxa in the extensive taxonomic part.