A revision of the New Zealand species of the parasitoid genus Aleochara , with description of four new species (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae)

The New Zealand species of Aleochara are revised. Six species are recognised: Aleochara puberula (Klug), A. subaenea Fauvel, and 4 new species — A. aucklandica (North Island: AK), A. complexa (Kermadec Islands), A. hammondi (South Island: MIC, WD, OL, CO), and A. watti (Three Kings Islands). All species are described, and diagnostic features are illustrated. Adults are mainly predacious on immature stages of cyclorrhaphous Diptera, and the larvae are parasitoids of dipteran puparia. “A.” puber (Broun) and “A.” semifusca Broun are excluded from Aleochara and tentatively assigned to Silusa Erichson. A phylogenetic analysis of the six species was carried out using the program PAUP 3.1.1.