Aspidoglossa Putzeys, 1846

Bousquet, Yves, 2006, Review of the species of Ardistomina (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Clivinini) in America north of Mexico, Zootaxa 1308, pp. 1-29 : 8

Genus Aspidoglossa Putzeys, 1846

Aspidoglossa Putzeys 1846: 523 . Type species: Aspidoglossa submetallica Putzeys, 1846 , designated by Chenu (1851: 102). ­ Chenu (1851: 102); Lacordaire (1854: 205); LeConte (1861: 13); Horn (1881: 121); Blatchley (1910: 53, 61); Bradley (1930: 22); Kult (1950: 300, 318); Ball (1960: 71, 109); Reichardt (1977: 392); Erwin and Sims (1984: 372, 373); Downie and Arnett (1996: 104, 112); Ciegler (2000: 11, 44); Ball and Bousquet (2001: 44, 74).

Description. Head: Clypeus with prominent lateral lobes ( Fig. 19 ). Antennomere 2 subequal in length to antennomere 3. Prothorax: Proepisternum without diagonal band of sculpture. Elytra: Striae punctate, punctures without setae. Lateral margin not prolonged beside basal extremity ( Fig. 25 ). Metathorax (underside): Metasternum without setae, with row of punctures along metepisternal suture (except in A. ogloblini ). Abdomen: Visible abdominal sterna 3–6 without accessory setae. Suture between visible abdominal sterna 2 and 3 distinct at middle. Legs: Ventral surface of protibia with one denticule (bearing a seta) in A. cribrata and A. ogloblini , with longitudinal row of denticules (each bearing a seta at its base) in other species studied ( Fig. 28 ).

Species studied. A. agnata Putzeys ; A. crenata (Dejean) ; A. cribrata Putzeys ; A. curta Putzeys ; A. distincta Putzeys ; A. korschefskyi Kult ; A. latiuscula Putzeys ; A. mexicana (Chaudoir) ; A. ogloblini Kult ; A. rivalis Putzeys ; A. ruficollis Putzeys ; A. sphaerodera (Reiche) ; A. subangulata (Chaudoir) .

Diversity and Geographical Distribution. Twenty­six species are presently included in this genus ( Lorenz 1998: 136). The species range collectively from southeastern United States south to northern Argentina, including the West Indies.

Comments. Kult (1950) pointed out two groups of species within the genus. Members of the latiuscula group have the eyes markedly globulose, the elytral interval 5 with setae, and a preapical rufous spot on each elytron in most species. In the intermedia group, the eyes are flat, the elytral interval 5 is asetose, and the elytra are unspotted preapically.

Figures

FIGURES 19 – 22. 19 – 21. Head (dorsal view). 19, Aspidoglossa subangulata; 20, Semiardistomis viridis; 21, Ardistomis schaumii. 22, Extremity of body (lateral view) of Ardistomis schaumii. Scale bar = 0.2 mm (Figs 20 – 22), 0.5 mm (Fig. 19).

FIGURES 23 – 26. 23 – 24. Protarsomeres (ventral view). 23, Aspidoglossa subangulata ɗ; 24, Aspidoglossa subangulata Ψ. 25 – 26. Humeral region (dorsal view). 25, Aspidoglossa subangulata; 26, Semiardistomis viridis. Scale bar = 0.2 mm.

FIGURES 27 – 30. 27, Prosternum of Ardistomis schaumii. 28 – 30. Protibia (ventral view). 28, Aspidoglossa subangulata; 29, Semiardistomis viridis; 30, Ardistomis schaumii. Scale bar = 0.2 mm.