Abstract. The New World genus Ataeniopsis Petrovitz, 1973 is revised. Fifteen species are recognized including three new species: Ataeniopsis carupanoi sp. n. from Venezuela, A.jaltipani sp. n. from Mexico and A. vinacoensis sp. n. from Argentina. Lectotype of A. haroldi (Steinheil, 1872) is designated, the name of type species A. notabilis Petrovitz, 1973 is reestablished, five species are given in a new combination. The taxa are diagnosed, keyed and illustrated, and biological information and distribution data summa rized following the species descriptions. A hypothetical phylogenetic analysis of Ataeniopsis based on cladistic analysis is presented.
INTRODUCTIONThis revision of the genus Ataeniopsis Petrovitz, 1973, is one of a series of papers published on the Neotropical Eupariini (Stebnicka, 1999a(Stebnicka, , 1999b(Stebnicka, , 2000(Stebnicka, , 2001a(Stebnicka, , 2001b(Stebnicka, , 2001c(Stebnicka, , 2002. The genus with the type species Ataen iopsis notabilis Petrovitz, 1973 from Brazil, consists of a species complex structurally distinct from other genera of the Eupariini. Woodruff (1973) and Cartwright (1974) placed the North American species in the genus Ataenius Harold, 1867. Chalumeau (1992) treated Ataeniopsis as a subgenus of Ataenius, however, a number of consistent characters appear to warrant generic status. The genus contains fifteen currently recognized species ranging in distribution from the United States to Argentina. Seven species are found in South America, four in Mesoamerica and in the Sonoran province, three species occur exclu sively in the southeastern United States and one species inhabits the West Indies. This study considerably extends the distribution of Ataeniopsis which is presented in the form of maps, with the exception of species inhabiting the United States of America cited by Cartwright (1974). A generic diagnosis is given below, followed by a cladistic analysis, keys and descriptions. Since the species of Ataeniopsis are not clearly differentiated, their descrip tions include mainly: exceptions to the usual conditions mentioned in the generic diagnosis, the state of characters varying widely in the genus and unique features.
Collections studiedApproximately 1700 members of Ataeniopsis were selected from New World material consisting of nearly 20 000 identified specimens, including all available type specimens. The following institutions and private collec tions kindly contributed material for this study.
101Diagnosis. Length 2.8-4.8 mm. Body (Fig. 2) slender, moderately convex, strongly shiny, colour reddish brown to black, legs reddish brown. Head trapezoid, relatively small, weakly gibbose medially; clypeal edge usually dentate on each side of shallow median emargination, rarely angulate or obtusely rounded; surface of head transversely wrinkled, frontal area punctate. Eyes mod erate in size. Pronotum subquadrate, anterior angle obtuse, posterior angle broadly rounded toward base, side margin not fimbriate, base margined or not, sometimes minutely crenate; pronotal ...