Fornax Laporte, 1835

Otto, Robert L., 2018, Descriptions of two new species of false click beetles (Coleoptera: Eucnemidae) from the Bahamas, Insecta Mundi 623, pp. 1-8 : 3-4

Genus Fornax Laporte, 1835

Diversity and distribution. There are more than 300 described species of Fornax . Many species are distributed largely in the tropical and subtropical regions around the globe. Greatest diversity of the group is concentrated in the African, Australasia, Indo-Malaya, Neotropical and Oceania regions. Six species are distributed in the Far East region of the Palearctic region, including Japan. Three known species and a number of undescribed species of Fornax are present in the Nearctic region.

Diagnosis. Apical margin of frontoclypeal region evenly rounded and more than twice as wide as the distance between antennal sockets; well-developed basally open lateral antennal grooves present; male prothoracic tarsomere I simple, with basal sex combs; metathoracic coxal plates medially more than 6.0 times wider than laterally; elytral epipleurae basally grooved; last visible ventrite either strongly produced, rounded or truncated; tarsal claws basally toothed; lateral surfaces of mesothoracic and metathoracic tibiae with setae and transverse rows of spine combs; male aedeagus dorsoventrally compressed, without secondary lateral lobes; median lobe simple, with moderately and narrowly bifurcate apices; lateral lobes simple, entire, flagellum simple.

These diagnostic characteristics, especially the basally grooved elytral epipleura, will distinguish the group from other genera like Onichodon Newman and Dromaeolus Kiesenwetter within the tribe Macraulacini .