Calleida splendidula (Fabricius, 1801)

Casale, Achille & Shi, Hongliang, 2018, Revision of the Oriental species of Calleida Latreille (sensu lato). Part 1: Introduction, groups of species, and species of six species groups (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Lebiini), Zootaxa 4442 (1) : 39

9. Calleida splendidula species group

Diagnostic characters: With the character states of Calleida (in the widest sense, see above), restricted or amplified as follows: small to medium sized species (L: 6.5–9.0 mm in general, exceptionally reaching 10 mm). Head and pronotum piceous to reddish; legs with all tarsomeres reddish brown; elytra metallic green, cupreous or purple-reddish, often with a reddish or brownish patch on disc. Metacoxae glabrous except for the fixed three or four setae. Median lobe of aedeagus simple, not modified ventrally or apically, generally flat in form; right margin more or less sinuate in ventral aspect; apical lamina rounded; endophallus with two chitinized copulatory pieces similar in shape, close to each other, one fourth as long as one third of the median lobe. Spermathecal pedicel curved or curly in some species, spermatheca not whorled, with basal projection.

Taxonomic note: This is the most diverse and complicate group of Asiatic Calleida species. Several described taxa are attributable to this species group, distributed almost through the full Oriental Region. Some of them are very common, and some others are insufficiently described. Apart from the coloration, different species have only minute differences in external and genital characters that makes the definition of every species very difficult.

This group seems to be monophyletic, but many character states are inferred by plesiomorphies. The revision of this species group is in progress.