Ascialinus Bernhauer, 1933

SMETANA, ALEŠ & DAVIES, ANTHONY, 2000, Reclassification of the North Temperate Taxa Associated with Staphylinus Sensu Lato, Including Comments on Relevant Subtribes of Staphylinini (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), American Museum Novitates 3287, pp. 1-1 : 1-

Ascialinus Bernhauer, 1933

TYPE SPECIES: Ascialinus beckeri Bernhauer, 1933 .

COMMENTS: The only species of this genus is characterized by the following character states: mandibles each similarly shaped, with deep subbasal indentation and two similar short, angular teeth at middle; base of gula highly swollen, transverse impression very fine, along margin; pronotal hypomeron finely setose (but see below); mesosternal intercoxal process with margins obsolete, disc entirely, irregularly tumid, with angulate finlike process at apex, extended behind as a long straight carina into deeply depressed acetabulum.

Further character states include: prostheca long, lanceolate, with short ciliae along entire medial edge, gradually longer to moderate at apex; apical segment of maxillary palpus asetose, with apex slightly wider than width at middle, apical segment of labial palpus with many fine setae, apex expanded to about two times width at base, slightly oblique; postmandibular ridge absent; postgenal ridge highly oblique, reaching gular suture, very broadly rounded laterally; superior and inferior lines of pronotal hypomeron run closely anteriad for some distance, merge along prosternal margin; prothoracic epimeron moderately developed; prosternum long, more than half as long as maximum width; sternacostal ridge medially extended anteriad into short, acute, slightly elevated process; elytra short, broadly depressed along base; anterior metasternal projection with margins converging obtusely, very broadly rounded apically; metasternum very short, at distinctly oblique angle to plane of body, not visibly canaliculate medially; dorsal apicolateral lobe of hind coxa with very fine spinelike setae, almost indistinguishable from other setae; empodial setae very long.

The species seems to be close to some members of the subgenus Matidus of Ocypus . Ascialinus may actually contain more species in the east Palearctic area, particularly in mainland China; the finely setose pronotal hypomeron may be an autapomorphy of A. beckeri .