Discoderus LeConte

Shpeley, Danny, Hunting, Wesley & Ball, George E., 2017, 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, ZooKeys 690, pp. 1-195 : 86

Genus Discoderus LeConte

Discoderus LeConte, (1853: 381). TYPE SPECIES: Selenophorus parallelus Haldeman (designation by Lindroth 1968: 830).- Gemminger and Harold 1868: 265.- Csiki 1932: 1039.- Blackwelder 1944: 46.- Noonan 1976: 41.- Reichardt 1977: 428.- Erwin and Sims 1984: 441.- Noonan 1985a: 47.- Lorenz 1998: 357.- Lorenz 2005: 378.

Selenalius Casey, 1914: 135, 153. TYPE SPECIES: Discoderus cordicollis Horn (by original designation).- Csiki 1932: 1196.- Blackwelder 1944: 49.- Noonan 1976: 41.- Reichardt 1977: 428.- Erwin and Sims 1984: 440.- Lorenz 1998: 357.- Lorenz 2005: 378.- Bousquet 2012: 1148.

Recognition.

Lindroth (1968: 830-831) noted the following features: Selenophori with pronotum discoid, posteriolateral angles evenly rounded, fore tibiae more widened apically than in Selenophorus , terminal spines stouter. Most species lack the elytral parascutellar stria. Males have the middle tibiae markedly arcuate, with series of small tubercles along the inner edge. Males of many species do not have the fore- and mid-tarsi dilated, and fore pair with only rudiments of adhesive vestiture. The male genitalia are characterized as follows: phallic median lobe slender, apex with tip narrowly obtuse in dorso/ventral aspect, acute in lateral aspect; endophallus without spines; without lamina. Discoderus females have a median enlarged plate-like area at the apex of abdominal sternum VII. Gonocoxite 2 of the ovipositor is short, thick, and lateral surface broad, concave, with transverse ridges. The internal reproductive tract of females are characterized as follows: spermathecal gland duct elongate; spermathecal gland elongate, in medial section markedly constricted.

Included species.

Only four species of Discoderus are recorded in the West Indies: D. beauvoisii (Dejean), D. cinctus (Putzeys), D. cyaneopacus (Darlington) and D. thoracicus (Putzeys).

Geographical distribution.

The West Indian range of this genus includes the islands of the Bahamas, Caymans, and Greater Antilles.