Tightening the requirements for species diagnoses would help integrate DNA-based descriptions in taxonomic practice.

Modern advances in DNA sequencing hold the promise of facilitating descriptions of new organisms at ever finer precision but have come with challenges as the major Codes of bionomenclature contain poorly defined requirements for species and subspecies diagnoses (henceforth, species diagnoses), which is particularly problematic for DNA-based taxonomy. We, the commissioners of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, advocate a tightening of the definition of "species diagnosis" in future editions of Codes of bionomenclature, for example, through the introduction of requirements for specific information on the character states of differentiating traits in comparison with similar species. Such new provisions would enhance taxonomic standards and ensure that all diagnoses, including DNA-based ones, contain adequate taxonomic context. Our recommendations are intended to spur discussion among biologists, as broad community consensus is critical ahead of the implementation of new editions of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature and other Codes of bionomenclature.

A new species of the genus Naddia Fauvel, 1867 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylininae) from southern China.

This study describes a new rove beetle species, Naddia flavipes sp. nov. from southern China and provides additional morphological knowledge on Naddia hainanensis Yang & Zhou 2010. Line drawings and color illustrations of adult structures and genitalia are provided for both species.

Revision of the genus Adiscus Gistel, 1857 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae, Cryptocephalinae) from mainland China.

The mainland Chinese fauna of the leaf beetle genus Adiscus Gistel, 1857 is revised and three new species described: Adiscus daofuensis Duan Zhou, new species from Sichuan, Gansu and Henan, A. ningshanensis Duan Zhou, new species from Shaanxi, and A. tanae Duan Zhou, new species from Tibet. One species is newly recorded from China: A. pubiventris Medvedev, 2008. The mainland Chinese fauna of Adiscus is 35 species, almost all of which are redescribed. Color illustrations and line drawings are provided and a key to all 35 Chinese mainland species. Types of the new species are deposited in the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Two new species of the genus Smaragdina Chevrolat, 1836 (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Cryptocephalinae) from China.

Two new species of the genus Smaragdina Chevrolat from China are reported: S.hejingensis Duan, Wang & Zhou sp. nov. from Xinjiang, and S.magnipunctata Duan, Wang and Zhou sp. nov. from Yunnan. Six species, S.divisa (Jacoby), S.insulana Medvedev, S.kimotoi Lopatin, S.laboissierei (Pic), S.laosensis Kimoto & Gressitt, and S.oculata Medvedev are new country records for China. Color illustrations and line drawings of general habitus and morphological details are given. All types of two new species are deposited in the collection of Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IZ-CAS).

Three new species of Rabigus Mulsant amp; Rey (Coleoptera, Staphylininae, Philonthina) from China.

The paper reports three new species of the genus Rabigus Mulsant Rey from China, namely, Rabigus cuspus Fei Zhou, sp. nov. from Sichuan, Rabigus sagittus Fei Zhou, sp. nov. from Shanxi, Rabigus triquetrus Fei Zhou, sp. nov. from Beijing and Shanxi. For all species included we provide color plates of general morphology and detailed aedeagus structures.

Two new species of the genus Melixanthus Suffrian (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Cryptocephalinae) from China.

Two new species of the genus Melixanthus Suffrian, 1854 are described from China: M.menglaensis Duan, Wang & Zhou, sp. nov. from Yunnan (also in Vietnam, Tonkin) and M.similibimaculicollis Duan, Wang & Zhou, sp. nov. from Yunnan. Another species, M.rufiventris Pic, 1926, is reported for the first time in China. High-quality color images and line drawings of adult habitus, aedeagus, and other important structures are provided for all three species. The types of the new species are deposited in the collection of Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IZ-CAS).

Revision of emEccoptolonthus/em Bernhauer (Coleoptera: Staphylininae: Philonthina) with descriptions of four new species from China.

This study revises the taxonomy of the genus Eccoptolonthus Bernhauer, 1912 and reports 14 species in the Chinese fauna. A catalogue of the remaining 15 Eccoptolonthus species from the Oriental and Afrotropical regions is also provided. Four new species are described from China: Eccoptolonthus conaensis Fei Zhou, sp. nov. from Tibet, Eccoptolonthus fuyuensis Fei Zhou, sp. nov. from Zhejiang, Eccoptolonthus dafoensis Fei Zhou, sp. nov. from Guizhou, and Eccoptolonthus xiaolongmenensis Fei Zhou, sp. nov. from Beijing. Eccoptolonthus (Eumorimotous) laevigatus laevigatus (Fauvel, 1895) is reported for the first time from Yunnan in China and Vietnam. A preliminary key to the Chinese species of Eccoptolonthus is also included in the paper. Color images and line drawings are provided to show diagnostic characters.

Validation of Stenus (Hypostenus) primivenatus and Stenus (Hypostenus) yiae (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Steninae).

Holotype depository was not indicated for the new species, Stenus (Hypostenus) primivenatus and Stenus (Hypostenus) yiae, described as new in the publication Zhao Zhou (2008). Missing this important message made these two species-group names unavailable according to the fourth edition of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (the Code, ICZN, 1999: Article 16.4). This problem was first denoted by Schülke, M. Smetana, A. (2015).

Taxonomy of Anotylus nitidifrons group (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Oxytelinae) and five new species from China.

The Anotylus nitidifrons group (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Oxytelinae) is studied and five new species are described from China: Anotylus sculptifrons Wang Zhou, sp. nov. (Hubei, Yunnan), A. corrugifrons Wang Zhou, sp. nov. (Guangxi), A. applanatifrons Wang Zhou, sp. nov. (Zhejiang), A. declivisculptilis Wang Zhou, sp. nov. (Guangxi), A. scabrifrons Wang Zhou, sp. nov. (Sichuan). The taxonomic history of Anotylus nitidifrons group is briefly reviewed and another Chinese species is redescribed. Color plates and line-drawing are provided for all new species and other two species known from China. A key to the Chinese species of Anotylus nitidifrons group is included in the paper.

Cyanocypus gen. nov., a new rove beetle genus of the "Staphylinus-complex" (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) with one new species from China.

This paper reports one new genus, Cyanocypus gen. nov. and one new species, Cyanocypus leukos sp. nov. from Yunnan, China. A comparison between the new genus and other related genera is provided and the diagnostic characters are illustrated.

Linking evolutionary mode to palaeoclimate change reveals rapid radiations of staphylinoid beetles in low-energy conditions.

Staphylinoidea (Insecta: Coleoptera) is one of the most species-rich groups in animals, but its huge diversity can hardly be explained by the popular hypothesis (co-radiation with angiosperms) that applies to phytophagous beetles. We estimated the evolutionary mode of staphylinoid beetles and investigated the relationship between the evolutionary mode and palaeoclimate change, and thus the factors underlying the current biodiversity pattern of staphylinoid beetles. Our results demonstrate that staphylinoid beetles originated at around the Triassic-Jurassic bound and the current higher level clades underwent rapid evolution (indicated by increased diversification rate and decreased body size disparity) in the Jurassic and in the Cenozoic, both with low-energy climate, and they evolved much slower during the Cretaceous with high-energy climate. Climate factors, especially low O2 and high CO2, promoted the diversification rate and among-clade body size disparification in the Jurassic. In the Cenozoic, however, climate factors had negative associations with diversification rate but little with body size disparification. Our present study does not support the explosion of staphylinoid beetles as a direct outcome of the Cretaceous Terrestrial Revolution (KTR). We suppose that occupying and diversifying in refuge niches associated with litter may elucidate rapid radiations of staphylinoid beetles in low-energy conditions.

Taxonomy of the leaf beetle genus Exomis Weise (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Clytrini) with description of six new species from China.

This publication revises the taxonomy of the leaf beetle genus Exomis Weise, 1889 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Clytrini) which is endemic to China. Six new species are described: E. deqinensis sp. nov., E. huangi sp. nov., E. pubescens sp. nov., E. pubipennis sp. nov., E. tanae sp. nov. and E. viridis sp. nov., in addition to two known species, namely E. degenevei Pic, 1932 and E. peplopteroides Weise, 1889. Exomis oblongum (Lopatin Konstantinov, 2009) from China (Yunnan) is transferred to this genus as new combination. The total Chinese fauna of Exomis is thus increased to nine species. A key to these species is provided and, for each of them, also a color photo of habitus and line drawings of the aedeagus, spermatheca and kotpresse, in order to ease identification in the future.

Three new species of the genus Nazeris (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Paederinae) from China.

This paper reports three new species of the genus Nazeris Fauvel, 1873 from mainland China, namely Nazeris mahuanggouensis Su, Li and Zhou, sp. nov. and Nazeris zhouhaishengi Su, Li and Zhou, sp. nov. from Sichuan Province, Nazeris wuluozhenensis Su, Li and Zhou, sp. nov. from Guizhou Province. For all species included we offer color plates of normal light photos for general morphology and detailed aedeagus structures.

Six new species of the genus Nazeris (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Paederinae) from China.

This paper reports six new species of the genus Nazeris Fauvel, 1873 from mainland China, namely Nazeris lushanensis sp. nov., N. cuscutus sp. nov., N. baoxingensis sp. nov. and N. megalocephalus sp. nov. from Sichuan Province, N. fulongensis sp. nov. from Guangxi Province, and N. tarandoides sp. nov. from Hubei Province. For all new species included we offer color plates of normal light photos for general morphology and detailed aedeagus structures and one plate of heads of scan electromicroscope photos.

Taxonomic study on the Chinese Steninae (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae), with descriptions of three new species of the Genus Stenus Latreille.

This is a taxonomic study on the genus Stenus Latreille (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) from China and includes descriptions of three new species: Stenus renjiafenicus Lv et Zhou, sp. nov., from Yunnan, Stenus longchishanicus Lv et Zhou, sp. nov., from Sichuan, and Stenus napoensis Lv et Zhou, sp. nov., from Guangxi, with illustrations and photos of the taxonomic characters. A latest key to all Chinese species of Stenus tenuimargo group is modified to include the new species. The following 4 Stenus species, S. feae Fauvel, 1895, S. claritarsis Puthz, 1971 S. malickyi Puthz, 2008, and S. iustus Puthz, 1976 are newly recorded to China and are redescribed, with illustrations and photos of the taxonomic characters.

One New Species of the Genus Stenus Latreille (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) from Hubei, China.

This paper treats the S. cephalotes group and S. indubius group (Coleoptera: Steninae) from China and includes description of one new species: Stenus wujiei Lv, Zhao Zhou, sp. nov. from Hubei, China. S. detestabilis Puthz and S. hui Tang Puthz are newly recorded to Hubei Province. Their diagnostic characters are illustrated.

Taxonomy of Stenus tenuimargo group (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Steninae) with descriptions of two new species from China.

This paper treats the Stenus tenuimargo group (Coleoptera: Steninae) from China and includes descriptions of two new species: Stenus nabanhensis Lv et Zhou, sp. nov., from Yunnan Province and Stenus zhangyejunianus Lv et Zhou, sp. nov., from Sichuan Province. Their diagnostic characters are illustrated and a key to all Chinese species of the group is provided.

Revision of the Anotylus sculpturatus group (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Oxytelinae) with descriptions of seven new species from China.

The Anotylus sculpturatus species group is one of the relatively well-defined assemblages within the very large genus Anotylus Thomson, 1859 of the subfamily Oxytelinae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae). This paper briefly examines the species group classification of the genus Anotylus and concentrates mainly on the taxonomy of Anotylus sculpturatus group. The paper reviews the Chinese fauna of 13 species, with seven new species described here: Anotylus benisculptilis sp. nov., A. nigelisculptilis sp. nov. and A. brevisculptilis sp. nov. from Sichuan, A. varisculptilis sp. nov. from Yunnan and Sichuan, A. nitelisculptilis sp. nov. from Sichuan, Ningxia, Gansu and Shaanxi, A. rectisculptilis sp. nov. from Zhejiang, and A. extrasculptilis sp. nov. from Yunnan. Lectotypes are designated for Anotylus chinkiangensis (Bernhauer, 1938) and A. subsericeus (Bernhauer, 1938). Color figures and line-drawings are provided for all the new species and most of the earlier known species from China. A preliminary key to the species groups of Anotylus and a key to the species of Anotylus sculpturatus group, mainly focused on Chinese fauna, are also included in the paper, so as to benefit the classification and identification in the future.

Taxonomy of the subgenus Pseudocypus Mulsant & Rey (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylinini) and eight new species from China.

Eight new species of the subgenus Pseudocypus Mulsant & Rey, 1876 of the genus Ocypus Leach, 1819 (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Staphylinini) are described from China: O. (Pseudocypus) pileaticulminis sp. nov., O. (Pseudocypus) denticulminis sp. nov., O. (Pseudocypus) anguliculminis sp. nov., O. (Pseudocypus) digiticulminis sp. nov., O. (Pseudocypus) alticulminis sp. nov., O. (Pseudocypus) fusciculminis sp. nov., O. (Pseudocypus) nigriculminis sp. nov. and O. (Pseudocypus) recticulminis sp. nov. Line drawings and color illustrations of adult structures and genitalia are given for all new species and the following species recorded in China: O. (Pseudocypus) aenescens Eppelsheim, 1889, O. (Pseudocypus) ballio Smetana, 2007, O. (Pseudocypus) calamis Smetana, 2007, O. (Pseudocypus) densissimus (Bernhauer, 1933), O. (Pseudocypus) dolon Smetana, 2007, O. (Pseudocypus) graeseri Eppelsheim, 1887, O. (Pseudocypus) hecato Smetana, 2007, O. (Pseudocypus) inexspectatus Eppelsheim, 1887 (new record in China), O. (Pseudocypus) menander Smetana, 2007, O. (Pseudocypus) neocles Smetana, 2007, O. (Pseudocypus) orodes Smetana, 2007, O. (Pseudocypus) pelias Smetana, 2007, O. (Pseudocypus) puer (Smetana, 2005a), O. (Pseudocypus) picipennis (Fabricius, 1793), O. (Pseudocypus) rhinton Smetana, 2007, and O. (Pseudocypus) semenowi Reitter, 1887. A key to Chinese species of the subgenus Pseudocypus Mulsant & Rey, 1876 is also provided in the text.