Ontholestes Ganglbauer, 1895

Yang, Zhuo & Zhou, Hong-Zhang, 2012, Review of Chinese species of the genus Ontholestes Ganglbauer, 1895 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae) with description of two species new to science, Zootaxa 3191, pp. 1-20 : 2

Genus Ontholestes Ganglbauer, 1895

Ganglbauer, 1895: 417; Lucas, 1920: 459; Bernhauer and Schubert, 1914: 393; Cameron, 1932: 209; Scheerpeltz, 1933: 1405; Kirshenblat, 1936; Coiffait, 1974: 368; Shibata, 1984: 96; Smetana and Davies, 2000: 19, 22, 38; Herman, 2001: 3421; Smetana, 2004: 679.

Type species. Staphylinus murinus Linné , fixed by subsequent designation by Lucas, 1920: 459.

Synonyms. Trichoderma Stephens, 1833: 96 (species included: nebulosa, hybrida, murina, pubescens;). Type species. Staphylinus murinus Linné , fixed by subsequent designation by Westwood, 1838: 15.

Diagnosis. The species of this genus share the following charateristics: anterior angles of pronotum angulately extended anteriorly, marginal line of pronotal hypomeron narrowly rounded at prosternal margin, mesoventrite with complete, medial longitudinal carina, and mentum with long anterolateral seta near lateral margin, lateral seta minute to absent.

Further character states observed in the genus include: outer segments of antenna variably asymmetrical; maxillary and labial palpus both with last segment asetose, fusiform; mandibles each with dorsolateral ridge distinct, removed from mandibular margin, basally bordered by deep, broad depression; mandibular prostheca ciliate along entire length, with long, irregular, dense basal ciliae gradually shortening apicad; apical segments of both maxillary and labial palpus distinctly elongate, fusiform, without setae; postmandibular ridge present; postgenal ridge arched towards base of gula; superior line of pronotal hypomeron rather abruptly deflexed ventrad at about middle of pronotum length; postcoxal process of hypomeron long, subtriangular; prosternum highly prominent, sloping abruptly to anterior margin, with strong, convex carina starting between macrosetae; series of long setae on mesoventrite arranged in subtransverse row on each side of median carina; intercoxal process of mesoventrite angulate to broadly truncate apically; metaventrite oblique, highly convex between coxae, anterior projection with acutely converging margins; dorsal apicolateral lobe of metacoxa without apparent spines (after Smetana & Davies 2000).