Oxypodini Thomson, 1859

Klimaszewski, Jan, Savard, Karine, Pelletier, Georges & Webster, Reginald, 2008, Species review of the genus Gnypeta Thomson from Canada, Alaska and Greenland (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae): systematics, bionomics and distribution, ZooKeys 2 (2), pp. 11-84 : 14-15

Tribe Oxypodini Thomson, 1859

Oxypodides Thomson 1859: 36 ( ICZN, 1957: Name No. 150). Oxypodini : Seevers 1978: 14; Newton and Thayer 1992: 53; Ashe 2001: 360; Klimaszewski and Winchester 2002: 54; Klimaszewski and Pelletier 2004: 447; Klimaszewski et al. 2005: 9. Type genus: Oxypoda Mannerheim 1830: 69 ( ICZN, 1957: Name No. 1078).

Diagnosis

Adults. Structurally diverse group of aleocharine beetles that may be recognized by the following combination of characters: tarsal formula usually 5-5-5 but in some taxa 4-5-5 or 4-4-4, mouthparts generalized, mesocoxae moderately to narrowly separated and with slender and often sharply pointed mesoventral process; acetabula usually margined; pronotal hypomera not visible laterally in some genera (e.g. Oxypoda and close allies); abdominal tergite 9 narrowly subdivided at base ( Seevers 1978); median lobe of aedeagus with an elongate compressor plate and without an “athetine bridge” ( Seevers 1978); paramerite usually with elongate apical lobe and striated velum. There are 48 genera in 5 subtribes in North America ( Ashe 2001) and 24 genera in 3 subtribes in Canada and Alaska ( Gouix and Klimaszewski 2007).

At the present time the placement of the genus Gnypeta in the tribe Oxypodini should be considered as a tentative arrangement due to existing controversy between different authors and the lack of comprehensive analysis at the tribal level (see discussion under Phylogenetic affiliations).