Pseudoceneus Tschitscherine , 1890:164

Will, Kipling W., 2011, Taxonomic review of the Pterostichini and Loxandrini fauna of New Caledonia (Coleoptera, Carabidae), ZooKeys 147, pp. 337-397 : 340

Genus Pseudoceneus Tschitscherine, 1890:164 Figs 79

Type species.

Argutor holomelanus Tschitschérine 1890, see Moore et al. 1987 for details on type.

Description.

Head. Clypeo-ocular sulci absent; mentum emarginate, sides divergent, paramedial pits moderately large, deeply impressed; median tooth bifid; paraglossae small, without elongate setae at apex; ligular sclerite with two seta on apical margin; maxillary palpifer with one basal seta; antennae filiform, with three basal segments glabrous. Thorax. Pronotum quadrate, slightly transverse to slightly elongate, two marginal setae; pro-, meso- and metasterna glabrous; proepisternum smooth; elytra free, border at base, nine fully impressed striae, very short tenth stria at level of plica, apicolateral plica small and visible, parascutellar stria long, well impressed, not continuous with stria 1, angular base of stria 1 present, parascutellar punctures absent, three discal punctures in interval 3, intervals flat or convex; hind wing full; anterior tarsi of male with three basal segments expanded, ventrally squamous, all tarsi dorsally glabrous. Abdomen. Ventrites 3-6 without transverse sulci; aedeagus (fig. 8) ostium dorsal, oriented left side up in repose; right paramere small, narrow attenuate, left short, rounded point at apex; female reproductive tract (fig. 9) without dorsolateral bursal lobe, elongate spermatheca broadly attached laterally at base of common oviduct, spermatheca with appended gland, without spermatheca, without duct digital diverticulum, without spermathecal gland duct diverticulum.

New Caladonian species.

Pseudoceneus numeensis Fauvel 1903 [type IRSNB!]

Exemplars of species examined.

Pseudoceneus beatricis Giachino, Darodilia iridescens (Castelnau), Darodilia sollicitus (Erichson), Pseudoceneus numeensis Fauvel and numerous specimens including several apparently undescribed species from Australia.

Generic distribution.

Australia, New Caledonia, Norfolk Island and Tasmania.

Notes.

This genus was treated recently by Giachino (2005), however, he did not include Pseudoceneus numeensis in his study. Based on that paper and specimens available to me, I cannot confidently identify many individuals from Australia and some of those are very similar to Pseudoceneus numeensis . Based on my preliminary study there is a significant amount of continuous variation in gross features, such as pronotal form and elytral structures, while there is little and very subtle, variation in male genitalia. This genus requires revision based on a large sample of material and probably will require DNA sequence data for full resolution of the species boundaries. Given the material I have seen, Pseudoceneus numeensis appears distinct from typical individuals of other currently name species, but is probably conspecific with a widespread and commonly collected species in Queensland, Australia and thus likely represents a recent introduction or dispersal from Australia to New Caledoni a.