Harpalus (Iridessus), Bates, 1883

Bousquet, Yves, 2012, Catalogue of Geadephaga (Coleoptera, Adephaga) of America, north of Mexico, ZooKeys 245, pp. 1-1722 : 721-722

Subgenus Iridessus Bates, 1883

Argestes J.E. LeConte, 1849: 26 [nomen oblitum, see Bousquet (2008b: 328)]. Type species: Harpalus nitidulus Chaudoir, 1843 (= Trichotichnus fulgens Csiki, 1932) by monotypy. Etymology. Name of the north-west wind in classical antiquity. Note. Hardy et al. (1986: 472) argued that the paper in which this name was proposed was written by J.E. LeConte and not his son, J.L. LeConte.

Iridessus Bates, 1883b: 240. Type species: Harpalus lucidus Morawitz, 1863 designated by Habu (1954a: 245). Etymology. Uncertain, possibly from the Latin iris (rain bow) and the French noun dessus (above), alluding to the iridescence on the elytra of adults of the species included by Bates in this taxon [masculine].

Episcopellus Casey, 1914: 235. Type species: Feronia autumnalis Say, 1823 by original designation. Synonymy established by Ball and Bousquet (2000: 96). Etymology. Uncertain, possibly from the Greek episcopos (overseer) and the suffix - ellus (small, little) [masculine].

Diversity.

Six species in the Nearctic (two species) and east Palaearctic (four species) Regions.

Taxonomic Note.

Kataev (in Ball and Bousquet 2000: 96) revalidated Iridessus Bates as a subgenus, considered by most authors as a synonym of Trichotichnus .