Os membros da Ordem Coleoptera são conhecidos popularmente como besouros. Diferentes famílias são conhecidas por nomes populares particulares para cada região. Com distribuição cosmopolita, a ordem constitui o grupo maior e mais diverso de organismos do reino Animal, com cerca de 380 mil espécies descritas (Lawrence & Britton 1994; Ślipiński et al. 2011), que representam cerca de 35% do total de insetos. Em termos comparativos, o número de espécies de besouros excede o de plantas vasculares ou de fungos e é cerca de 90 vezes maior que o de mamíferos. São registradas cerca de 188 famílias no Mundo. No Brasil, já foram registradas pouco mais de 33 mil espécies em 115 famílias. Estima-se que o número real de espécies existentes esteja entre 1-12 milhões de espécies no mundo (Erwin 1982), com cerca de 130 mil no Brasil. O fator mais importante no sucesso de Coleoptera parece ser a evolução dos élitros, a forte esclerosação das partes expostas do corpo, presença de criptonefrídeos e especializações relacionadas a fitofagia. O principal efeito dessas estruturas está relacionado à proteção e a melhora nos mecanismos que reduzem a perda de água (Crowson 1981).

We report the publication of 953 DNA barcodes of forest leaf litter beetles from central Taiwan, in total representing 334 species of 36 beetle families. This is the first bulk of data from the Taiwanese Leaf Litter beetles project focused on uncovering the under-explored diversity of leaf litter beetles across Taiwan. Based on these data, we provide the first records of the following taxa for Taiwan: family Sphindidae (genusAspidiphorusZiegler, 1821); tribes Trichonychini, Ctenistini, and Bythinoplectini (all Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae); generaGyrelonHinton, 1942,ThyroderusSharp, 1885,CautomusSharp, 1885 (all Cerylonidae),DermatohomoeusHlisnikovský, 1963 (Leiodidae),ParaploderusHerman, 1970 (Staphylinidae: Oxytelinae),ThinocharisKraatz, 1859 (Staphylinidae: Paederinae),CephennodesReitter, 1884,NapoconnusFranz, 1957 (both Staphylinidae: Scydmaeninae),BicavaBelon, 1884 (Latridiidae),OtibazoMorimoto, 1961,SeleucaPascoe, 1871 andAcallinusMorimoto, 1962 (all Curculionidae); species Oodes (Lachnocrepis) japonicus (Bates, 1873) (Carabidae: Licininae),Drusilla obliqua(Bernhauer, 1916) (Staphylinidae: Aleocharinae) andCoccotrypes advenaBlandford, 1894 (Curculionidae: Scolytinae). The records ofAnapleusHorn, 1873 (Histeridae) andBatraxisReitter, 1882 (Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae) have been confirmed. The male ofSivacrypticus taiwanicusKaszab, 1964 (Archeocrypticidae) is described for the first time.Gyrelon jenpaniHu, Fikáček & Matsumoto,sp. nov.(Cerylonidae) is described, illustrated, and compared with related species. DNA barcodes associated larvae of 42 species with adults, we are concisely illustrating some of these:Oodes japonicus, Perigona cf. nigriceps Dejean, 1831 (both Carabidae),Ptilodactylasp. (Ptilodactylidae),Maltypus ryukyuanusWittmer, 1970 (Cantharidae),Drusilla obliqua,Myrmecocephalus brevisulcus(Pace, 2008),Diochussp.,Mimopinophilussp. (all Staphylinidae),Stelidota multiguttataReitter, 1877,Lasiodites inaequalis(Grouvelle, 1914) (both Nitidulidae),Lagria scutellarisPic, 1910, andAnaedus spinicornisKaszab, 1973 (both Tenebrionidae). We also report the first cases ofRickettsiainfections in Scydmaeninae and Pselaphinae. All data (sequences, metadata, and voucher photos) are made public in BOLD database and in a Zenodo Archive.

The Neotropical genus of myrmecophilous beetles, Ecitonides Wasmann, 1894 (Staphylinidae: Paederinae: Lathrobiini), currently includes nine valid species distributed in French Guiana, Suriname, Brazil, Peru, Paraguay, and Argentina. Members of this genus are notable for the tuberculate ornamentation on the head, thorax, and abdomen. Although little is known about the biology of these beetles, there are records of association with different species of army ants ( Labidus Jurine, 1807 and Nomamyrmex Borgmeier, 1936). In this study, a detailed comparative morphological study of all available species for study was conducted, descriptions of two new species, Ecitonides colossus sp. nov . and Ecitonides splendidus sp. nov ., are provided, and lectotypes for Ecitonides brevicornis Wasmann, 1900 and Ecitonides spectabilis Borgmeier, 1932 are designated. Diagnoses, illustrations, and photographs are given; an identification key is provided for all 11 species as well as new geographic distribution data. The aim of this study is to provide morphological data that will serve as a tool for a future investigation of the phylogenetic position of the genus and facilitate species recognition through diagnostic morphological characters and an identification key.

A new fossil genus and species of Cantharidae, Nothotytthonyx serratus Li, Biffi, Kundrata & Cai gen. et sp. nov., is reported from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. The new species is tentatively attributed to the extant subfamily Malthininae based on a combination of characters, including the symmetrical apical maxillary palpomeres, shortened elytra, pronotum with arched margins and well-defined borders, tibiae with apical spurs, and tarsal claws simple, although its well-developed gonostyli are atypical in Malthininae. The discovery of Nothotytthonyx also suggests a possible Gondwanan origin for Malthininae.

Immatures of Dicrepidius Eschscholtz, 1829 and Dipropus Germar, 1839 (Elateridae, Elaterinae, Ampedini: Dicrepidiina)

The genus Trypheridium Brancucci, 1985 is endemic to the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region, and is currently known from a single species, T. nuristanicum (Wittmer, 1956). Here, the genus is reviewed, T. nuristanicum nom. emend. is re-described and T. kashmiricum sp. nov. is described from Kashmir Himalayan Region of India. Descriptions, diagnoses, high quality images, distribution maps and identification keys are presented. The morphology and distribution of Trypheridium are discussed and compared with those of the closely related genus Trypherus LeConte, 1851.