Systematic review of Heterolinus Sharp (Coleoptera : Staphylinidae : Xantholinini)

The genus Heterolinus Sharp, 1885 is revised, with generic redescription, d escription of a new species, a key to the species, remarks, illustrations, and a distributional map. Heterolinus distinctus Bernhauer, 1905 is a junio r synonym of H. xanthogaster (Solsky 1875) new combination. Lectotypes are designated for Xantholinus puncticeps Guerin-Meneville, 1844 and Xantholinu s xanthogaster Solsky, 1875. Heterolinus puncticeps is distributed in Colom bia and Ecuador, H. xanthogaster in Peru and Bolivia, and H. basiniger new species in Costa Rica, Colombia and Ecuador. According to a cladistic analy sis based on 47 transformation series from external morphology and male gen italia, Heterolinus is a monophyletic group, and is the sister group of Eho malolinus plus Homalolinus. Heterolinus puncticeps is the sister species of H. xanthogaster and H. basiniger is the most plesiomorphic species of the genus.