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Herein, Austrelatus gen. nov. (type species: Copelatus irregularis W.J. Macleay, 1871) is described for a distinctive lineage of predominantly Australasian species previously assigned to Copelatus Erichson, 1832. The new genus was retrieved as well supported, monophyletic clade in phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequences data using Bayesian and parsimony approaches. The main morphological diagnostic character of Austrelatus is a complex median lobe of the aedeagus, with evident dorsal and ventral sclerites usually divided in apical half into two lobes of different shape or otherwise modified. Morphological comparison of the new genus with other Copelatinae genera, especially with Copelatus and Exocelina Broun, 1886, and a generic key to the New Guinean Copelatinae are provided. New combinations are established for 31 already described species mainly from the Australian Region (all from Copelatus): Austrelatus adelbert (Megna, Atthakor, Manaono, Hendrich & Balke, 2017), comb. nov.; A. badeni (Sharp, 1882), comb. nov.; A. bakewelli (J. Balfour-Browne, 1939), comb. nov.; A. baranensis (Hájek, Shaverdo, Hendrich & Balke, 2021), comb. nov.; A. bougainvillensis (Hájek, Shaverdo, Hendrich & Balke, 2021), comb. nov.; A. boukali (Hendrich & Balke, 1998), comb. nov.; A. clarki (Sharp, 1882), comb. nov.; A. daemeli (Sharp, 1882), comb. nov.; A. davidi (Wewalka, 2017), comb. nov.; A. deccanensis (Sheth, Ghate & Hájek, 2018), comb. nov.; A. fidschiensis (Zimmermann, 1928), comb. nov.; A. gestroi (Régimbart, 1892), comb. nov.; A. irregularis (W.J. Macleay, 1871), comb. nov.; A. kaszabi (Guignot, 1956), comb. nov.; A. kietensis (Hájek, Shaverdo, Hendrich & Balke, 2021), comb. nov.; A. laevipennis (Hájek, Shaverdo, Hendrich & Balke, 2021), comb. nov.; A. luteomaculatus (Guignot, 1956), comb. nov.; A. maushomi (Sheth, Ghate & Hájek, 2018), comb. nov.; A. neoguineensis (Zimmermann, 1919), comb. nov.; A. nigrolineatus (Sharp, 1882), comb. nov.; A. papuensis (J. Balfour-Browne, 1939), comb. nov.; A. parallelus (Zimmermann, 1920a), comb. nov.; A. schuhi (Hendrich & Balke, 1998), comb. nov.; A. sibelaemontis (Hájek, Hendrich, Hawlitschek & Balke, 2010), comb. nov.; A. strigosulus (Fairmaire, 1878), comb. nov.; A. ternatensis (Régimbart, 1899), comb. nov.; A. uludanuensis (Hendrich & Balke, 1995), comb. nov.; A. urceolus (Hájek, Shaverdo, Hendrich & Balke, 2021), comb. nov.; A. variistriatus (Hájek, Shaverdo, Hendrich & Balke, 2021), comb. nov.; A. wallacei (J. Bal-four-Browne, 1939), comb. nov. and A. xanthocephalus (Régimbart, 1899), comb. nov. Austrelatus species from New Guinea are divided into two informal species groups, the A. neoguineesis group and A. papuensis group, and A. fumato sp. nov. and A. setiphallus sp. nov. standing aside of them. The A. neoguineensis group is introduced with three previously known species and 29 new species described here based on the morphological characters and Cox1 data: Austrelatus baliem sp. nov., A. bormensis sp. nov., A. brazza sp. nov., A. debulensis sp. nov., A. fakfak sp. nov., A. febrisauri sp. nov., A. fojaensis sp. nov., A. garainensis sp. nov., A. innominatus sp. nov., A. lembenensis sp. nov., A. lisae sp. nov., A. manokwariensis sp. nov., A. mimika sp. nov., A. mirificus sp. nov., A. moreguinensis sp. nov., A. nadjae sp. nov., A. oksibilensis sp. nov., A. pseudoneoguineensis sp. nov., A. pseudoksibilensis sp. nov., A. rajaampatensis sp. nov., A. rouaffer sp. nov., A. rugosus sp. nov., A. sandaunensis sp. nov., A. sarmiensis sp. nov., A. securiformis sp. nov., A. testegensis sp. nov., A. toricelli sp. nov., A. vagauensis sp. nov., and A. wanggarensis sp. nov. Copelatus vagestriatus Zimmermann, 1919, syn. nov. is recognised as a junior subjective synonym of A. clarki (Sharp, 1882). The lectotypes of Copelatus gestroi Régimbart, 1892, C. neoguineensis Zimmermann, 1919 and C. xanthocephalus Régimbart, 1899 are designated. All species are (re)described, and their important species characters (genitalia, habitus, and colour patterns) are illustrated. Keys to all species are provided. The known distribution and habitat preferences of each species are outlined briefly. New Guinean Austrelatus occupy a variety of stagnant water habitats, either lentic sensu stricto, or standing water associated with lotic habitats (e.g., backflows, rockpools, intermittent / ephemeral stream pools). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of the genus Cheleion Vårdal & Forshage, 2010, Cheleion jendeki sp. n., from Johor, Malaysia is described, illustrated and compared with the type species of the genus, C. malayanum Vårdal & Forshage, 2010. Photographs of the two species are presented. The adaptation to inquilinous lifestyle of Cheleion is compared with those in other beetle groups and briefly discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on the fossil beetles assigned previously to the family Hydrophilidae described from the localities in the southern part of the Upper Rhine Graben: Brunstatt (France, Alsace) and Kleinkems (Germany, Baden-Württemberg) (both dated ca. to Eocene-Oligocene boundary, 34 Ma). The identity of Escheria convexa Förster, 1891 is fixed by the designation of its neotype, the species is redescribed, illustrated, transferred from the hydrophilid genus Hydrobius Leach, 1815 to the genus Copelatus Erichson, 1832 (Coleoptera: Adephaga: Dytiscidae) and compared with other fossil representatives of Copelatus. The identity of the remaining three species, Hydrobius crassipunctatus (Förster, 1891), H. dimidiatus (Förster, 1891) and H. punctulatus (Förster, 1891), is briefly evaluated on the basis of the original descriptions and illustrations only, because their types were lost or destroyed during World War II; all three species are removed from the fossil record of the Hydrophiloidea and placed into Polyphaga incertae sedis. The geology and stratigraphy of Brunnstatt and Kleinkems are discussed briefly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]