A revision of the western Palaearctic species of Myrmecopora Saulcy, 1864, sensu lato and Eccoptoglossa Luze, 1904 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae, Aleocharinae, Falagriini).

The systematic position and taxonomic history of the falagriine genera Myrmecopora SAULCY, 1864 sensu lato and Eccoptoglossa LUZE, 1904, including the subgenera and species described prior to the present study are outlined and discussed. Both genera are redescribed and redefined with special reference to phylogenetic relationships. Based on phylogenetic arguments, the following taxa are recognized as subgenera of Myrmecopora: Myrmecopora SAULCY s. str., Iliusa MULSANT & REY, 1874, Xenusa MULSANT & REY, 1874, Paraxenusa subg. n. and Euphorbiusa subg. n. A revision of the types and further Western Palaearctic material of both genera yielded 22 valid species of Myrmecopora and 2 species of Eccoptoglossa, among them six new taxa: Myrmecopora (s. str.) wunderlei sp. n. from Southern Anatolia, M. (s. str.) convexula sp. n. from Western Anatolia and Southeastern Bulgaria, M. (s. str.) elisa sp. n. from Crete, M. (s. str.) plana sp. n. from Crete, M. (s. str.) fornicata sp. n. from Crete and M. (Xenusa) oweni sp. n. from Southern England, Northern and Western France. Myrmecopora turanica EPPELSHEIM, 1888, is transferred to Eccoptoglossa. The following new synonymies are established: M. (Iliusa) fugax (ERICHSON, 1839) = M. uludaghensis FAGEL, 1971, syn. n., M. (Xenusa) uvida (ERICHSON, 1840) = M. meridiogallica SCHEERPELTZ, 1972, syn. n., M. (Xenusa) boehmi BERNHAUER, 1910 = M. sydowi BERNHAUER, 1927, syn. n., = Xenusa mediterranea FAGEL, 1970, syn. n., M. (Xenusa) sulcata (KIESENWETTER, 1850) = Xenusa carica FAGEL, 1970, syn. n., M. (Xenusa) simillima (WOLLASTON, 1864) = M. lohmanderi BERNHAUER, 1927, syn. n., M. (Xenusa) minima BERNHAUER, 1900 = M. buresi RAMBOUSEK, 1910, syn. n., = Xenusa pamphylica FAGEL, 1969, syn. n., Eccoptoglossa obscura LUZE, 1904 = Myrmecopora afghanica SCHEERPELTZ, 1972, syn. n. Myrmecopora (s. str.) pygmaea (SACHSE, 1852), previously treated as a synonym of M. (s. str.) crassiuscula (AUBE, 1850), is regarded as a valid species. Lectotypes are designated for Myrmecopora publicana SAULCY, Myrmedonia pygmaea SACHSE, Tachyusa laesa ERICHSON, T. uvida ERICHSON, T. sulcata KIESENWETTER, T. simillima WOLLASTON, T. maritima WOLLASTON, Myrmecopora sydowi BERNHAUER, M. boehmi BERNHAUER, M. minima BERNHAUER, M. lohmanderi BERNHAUER, M. bernhaueri KOCH, M. brevipes BUTLER, M. gravata PEYERIMHOFF, M. turanica EPPELSHEIM and Eccoptoglossa obscura LUZE. A neotype is designated for Tachyusa fugax ERICHSON. In addition to the descriptions of the genera, subgenera and species dealt with in the study, drawings of relevant external characters and the genitalia, detailed diagnostic keys as well as data on distribution and bionomics are provided.