A taxonomic review of the Selenophori group (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Harpalini) in the West Indies, with descriptions of new species and notes about classification and biogeography

Abstract

Primarily a taxonomic review of the West Indian elements of the selenophorine Harpalini, this paper includes a classification, a key, descriptions and illustrations of taxa, re-rankings, and new synonymies. In total, 45 species and subspecies are treated, six of which are described as new. A new genus and new species are as follows, with type localities in parentheses: Paraulacoryssus gen. n., (type species Selenophorus puertoricensis Mutchler, 1934); Neodiachipteryx davidsoni sp. n., (Zamba, Dominican Republic); Selenophorus spinosus sp. n., seriatoporus species group (Benjamin Constant, state of Amazonas, Brazil); Selenophorus obtusoides sp. n., parumpunctatus species group (near Soroa, Pinar del Rio Province, Cuba); Selenophorus iviei sp. n., nonseriatus species group (Big River, Montserrat, 16°45.719N', 62°11.335W'); Selenophorus irec sp. n., nonseriatus species group (Vernou, Guadeloupe, Lesser Antilles); and Selenophorus fabricii sp. n., opalinus species group (Cabo Rojo, Pedernales Province, Dominican Republic). This last species was misidentified as Selenophorus integer (Fabricius). In turn, that species was misidentified as Selenophorus chalybeus Dejean. Selenophorus chalybeus Dejean is a junior synonym of Selenophorus integer Fabricius, syn. n.; and Isopleurus macleayi Kirby is a junior synonym of Selenophorus pyritosus Dejean, syn. n.Biogeographically, log of land area plotted against log of number of species shows that the equilibrium theory of biogeography applies to the West Indian selenophorine fauna.Taxonomically, the selenophorine taxa of the West Indies are arranged in eight genera. The 30 species/subspecies of Selenophorus (sensu stricto) are arranged in 10 species groups. Geographically, the major sources of the selenophorines are the Bahamas, the Greater Antilles and Lesser Antilles. The West Indian islands probably have been invaded by 26 taxa. Of the currently extant taxa, 11 are classified as immigrant, meaning that they are represented both in the islands and on the mainland (South America or Middle America and southern Florida). Thirty three taxa are classified as precinctive, meaning that they originated where they are now living, the implication being that they have descended from immigrants, thus older in the islands than the current-day immigrants.It is postulated that the West Indian taxa represent three age groups: oldest, ancestors having reached the proto-Antilles by a landspan known as GAARlandia; a middle-age group (Neogene period), their ancestors having reached the islands by dispersal over water, between islands; and a young group of extant taxa, no older than the Pleistocene, also having reached the islands over water.

New records of eight species of ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) from Colombia

“…This specimen presents a coppery metallic dorsal surface, pronotum and elytra with slight greenish reflections anterolaterally, and very short pubescence on elytral disc. Our specimen matches with the diagnosis provided by Shpeley et al (2017), including an interconnected row of punctures on elytra and a bigger size, if compared with other species of the Selenophori group. Females size reported by Shpeley et al (2017) ranges between 12.5-13.2 mm (SBL), while our single individual-also femaleis 14.1 mm SBL.…”

“…Our specimen matches with the diagnosis provided by Shpeley et al (2017), including an interconnected row of punctures on elytra and a bigger size, if compared with other species of the Selenophori group. Females size reported by Shpeley et al (2017) ranges between 12.5-13.2 mm (SBL), while our single individual-also femaleis 14.1 mm SBL. The identification was confirmed by Danny Shpeley.…”

“…Individuals were collected in various field trips between 1987 and 2019. Identifications were made following the taxonomic keys proposed by Arndt (1998), Martínez (2005), Hoover (2016), Erwin and Henry (2017), and Shpeley et al (2017), and by identification/confirmation by specialists in the family: Terry Erwin (Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, Washington, USA), Danny Shpeley (Strickland Museum, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada) and Pierre Moret (Université Toulouse II, France). In addition, some records were confirmed by comparison with high quality images of type material deposited in the Natural History Museum (NHM, London, United Kingdom) and the Museum of Zoology of the University of Sao Paulo (MZUSP, São Paulo, Brazil).…”

Early successional dynamics of ground beetles (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in the tropical dry forest ecosystem in Colombia

“…are related to leaf-litter ( Erwin 1991 ; Larochelle and Larivière 2003 ; Martínez 2005 ), while species shared between early succession and pasture ( Athrostictus paganus (Dejean), M. affinis and Tetragonoderus sp.) prefer open areas and/or pasture ( Larochelle and Larivière 2003 ; Vitolo 2004 ; Shpeley et al 2017 ). Calosoma alternans (in Armero and Cambao) and M. affinis (Cambao) were present in all habitat types, suggesting that these species are habitat generalists.…”

A catalogue of the Coleoptera of the Dutch Antilles

“…(Rücker 1988, Osella 1989, Aellen & Strinati 1997 (Baranowski & Slater 2005). The Baranowskis also visited Saba in August 1992 where they collected at least one beetle (Ivie et al 2008a, Shpeley et al 2017).…”