近日，國際著名雜誌《林耐學會動物學刊》Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society刊登了中科院動物研究所甲蟲多樣性與分子進化研究組周紅章研究員領導團隊的最新研究成果「」研究人員在隱翅蟲科分類與系統發育研究上取得新的成果。
該論文對隱翅蟲科菲隱亞族的系統發育關係進行了詳細的分析，建立了屬級各單元間的系統發育關係；同時，對這一類群中若干關鍵單元的單系性及分類系統位置的合理性，進行了驗證性分析。這項研究中建立的系統發育樹包括105個成蟲特徵和66個樹端單元，完全基於形態特徵構成數據矩陣。新建的系統樹是在完整可靠、系統全面的分類研究基礎上，包括了Pseudohesperus屬全世界物種的修訂和總結。以建立的系統發育樹為模板，結合GIS地理信息系統，研究了Pseudohesperus屬的地理分布和物種分化。論文同時描述5個甲蟲新物種，均採自中國境內。
隱翅科屬於鞘翅目多食亞目的隱翅蟲大類(Staphyliniformia)。甲蟲（鞘翅目）是生命界物種最多的門類，而隱翅蟲科又是鞘翅目中物種最為豐富的類群之一，大自然中大約有60%的隱翅蟲新物種有待於人們去發現。研究以捕食性為主的隱翅蟲科，建立這個類群的系統發育關係，探討隱翅蟲的進化與適應，對於認識生物多樣性的本質、起源與維持機制，回答「為什麼地球上會有如此龐大數量的甲蟲？」（Farrell，1998，Science）這一著名的科學問題，有比較重要的價值。
該論文的第一作者李亮是甲蟲多樣性與分子進化研究組已畢業的博士生，通訊作者是周紅章研究員。該項研究工作得到了國家科技支撐計劃、中國科學院創新工程重要方向性項目和國家自然科學基金的資助。（生物谷Bioon.com）
Revision and phylogenetic assessment of the rove beetle genus Pseudohesperus Hayashi, with broad reference to the subtribe Philonthina (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Staphylinini)
LIANG LI1,2, HONG-ZHANG ZHOU1,*
Keywords: new species;scanning electron microscopy;Staphylininae;systematics;taxonomy This paper studies the phylogeny of the rove beetle subtribe Philonthina, to test its hypothetical monophyly and to unravel the evolutionary relationships of the subtribe and its included genus-level taxa, with emphasis on the genus Pseudohesperus and its close-allied relatives. The phylogenetic analyses are based on 105 adult morphological characters and 66 terminal taxa, i.e., all six members of Pseudohesperus, 51 species to represent 29 other genera of the subtribe Philonthina, seven species to represent the other six subtribes of Staphylinini, one species of the tribes Arrowinini, and one of the Platyprosopini. According to the phylogenetic results obtained, the genus Erichsonius should move out from the hitherto-defined subtribe Philonthina and thus the monophyly of this taxon is challenged. The phylogenetic tree suggests that the genera Hesperus and Belonuchus might not be monophyletic, but the monophyly of Pseudohesperus and the sister relationship between it and Bisnius are well supported. The species-level phylogenetic relationships of the genus Pseudohesperus reveal a clear pattern of species diversification that can be correlated well with the species' zoogeographical patterns. The paper also revises the taxonomy of Pseudohesperus and describes five new species from China: Pseudohesperus luteus Li & Zhou sp. nov., Pseudohesperus pedatiformis Li & Zhou sp. nov., Pseudohesperus tripartitus Li & Zhou sp. nov., Pseudohesperussparsipunctatus Li & Zhou sp. nov., and Bisnius lubricus Li & Zhou sp. nov. An identification key to the species of Pseudohesperus is provided and their geographical distributions are mapped.