LELEUPIDIINI FROM THE ORIENTAL REGION - 2 - THE GENUS GUNVORITA LANDIN (INSECTA, COLEOPTERA, CARABIDAE, ZUPHIINAE)

The genus Gunvorita Landin is revised and the following 13 new species from Nepal and northeastern India are described and illustrated: Gunv orita angusticeps, G. besucheti, G. depressipennis, G. hamifera, G. in ermis, G. laeviceps, G. minor, G. nepalensis, G. ovaliceps, G punctipe nnis, G. schawalleri, G. smetanai, and G. uncinata. The male genitalia of G. indica Darlington are described and figured. A key to all 16 kn own species is provided. Scenario's of the possible evolution and biog eographic history of the Oriental-Australian Leleupidiini are presente d, even though the phylogenetic relations of and within the three gene ra occurring in the Oriental region are not yet settled. Striking gaps in distribution of Leleupidiini in the Oriental region and some phylo genetic evidence indicate at least two, or even more probably, three i ndependent colonization events of Leleupidiini in southern Asia: namel y the genus Paraleleupidia to southern India, the ancestral stock of C olasidia to Malaysia, and the ancestral stock of Gunvorita to the pre- Himalayan area of Nepal to northeastern India. But another scenario is also conceivable with colonization of the ancestral stock of Colasidi a and Gunvorita to Malaysia and with later spreading of Colasidia to t he southeast and Gunvorita to the northwest. The immigration is believ ed to have occurred by drifting on the Indian plate (Paraleleupidia) a nd on terranes of the so-called ''Sundaland'' (Colasidia and Gunvorita ). Consequently, the Oriental-Australian Leleupidiini are derived from ancestors that were formerly distributed in the part of Gondwanaland situated east to Africa. Therefore, Leleupidiini most probably are of pre-Cretacious age, and they are a further example of rather recent im migration of an old Gondwanan element into the Australian region from the north.