Subgenus Aleochara Gravenhorst, 1802

(Figs 1–7, 10–16, 19–25, 28–34, 37–42, 45–92, 107–116, 120, 121–126)

Aleochara Gravenhorst, 1802: 67 (original description); Klimaszewski, 1984: 14 (in key to subgenus of Nearctic subgenera of genus Aleochara), 70 (redescription); Klimaszewski & Jansen, 1994: 94 (redescription); Welch, 1997: 1 (taxonomic note); Klimaszewski et al., 2000: 230 (in key to subgenus of Madagascan subgenera of genus Aleochara), 241 (descriptive mention); Gouix & Klimaszewski, 2007: 20 (catalogue of Canadian and Alaskan species of Aleocharinae); Luo & Zhao, 2012: 179 (descriptive mention).

Type species: Staphylinus curtulus Goeze, 1777: 730 (= Aleochara fuscipes sensu Gravenhorst, 1802, nec Linnaeus, 1758), by subsequent designation. See Smetana (2004a: 30).

Copiata Gozis, 1886: 12 (type species: Staphylinus curtulus Goeze, 1777 = Aleochara fuscipes sensu Gravenhorst, 1802, nec Linnaeus, 1758).

Correa Fauvel, 1878: 592 (type species: Correa oxytelina Fauvel, 1878).

Euryodma; Bernhauer & Scheerpeltz, 1926: 780 (in part, nec Reitter, 1909); Klimaszewski, 1984: 70 (sensu stricto).

See Klimaszewski (1984) for further references, especially those before Klimaszewski (1984).

Diagnosis. The subgenus Aleochara can be distinguished from the other congeneric taxa by the combination of following character states (see also Klimaszewski, 1984): medium to large size adults; dorsal surface of body without conspicuous microsculpture; antennomeres V-X transverse, each at least twice broader than long; maxillary palpomere IV long, at least 2/ 3 in length as palpomere III; pronotum evenly pubescent; each elytron with posterolateral corners usually not sinuate; legs with tibia lack spines on lateral margins; mesosternite without any median carina, usually wide, broadly rounded apically or rather truncate, with apex completely reaching to intercoxal process of metaventrite; posterior margin of male abdominal tergite VIII bearing with short setae densely, rather clustered (at least some species of the subgenus); median lobe of aedeagus of male lacks projecting flagellum; female spermatheca without coils basally.

Comments. In Japan, six species have been recorded in the subgenus Aleochara: Aleochara (Aleochara) clavigera Sharp, 1874; A. (A.) coreana Bernhauer, 1926; A. (A.) curtula (Goeze, 1777); A. (A.) kochi Bernhauer, 1941; A. (A.) lata Gravenhorst, 1802, and; A. (A.) parens Sharp, 1874. Recently, Luo & Zhao (2012) revised this subgenus in China and Taiwan, with five inhabitants the same as those in Japan. Their work, however, contained some taxonomic issues. First, three out of 15 species, treated as valid species, are actually synonyms. Second, not all of the species had figures, so it was difficult to identify and delimit each species. Finally, the figures were not necessarily correct or precise; thus, this study is inadequate for a reliable interpretation of the correct extraction of the species characteristics. We therefore redescribe all of the species including the ones already redescribed in Luo & Zhao (2012).