Pterostichini Bonelli, 1810

Will, Kipling, 2015, Resolution of taxonomic problems in Australian Harpalini, Abacetini, Pterostichini, and Oodini (Coleoptera, Carabidae), ZooKeys 545, pp. 131-137 : 133

Taxon classification Animalia Coleoptera Carabidae

Pterostichini Bonelli, 1810

Cuneipectini Sloane, 1907. Syn. n.

Cuneipectus Sloane, 1907; type species, Cuneipectus frenchi Sloane, 1907.

Material examined.

Holotype, Cuneipectus frenchi [ANIC] and three additional specimens [ANIC, MCZ]; ten specimens of Cuniepectus foveatus Sloane, 1915 [EMEC].

Notes.

Sloane described a new tribe for Cuneipectus suggesting that it belonged "at the beginning of the Trigonotomid series of the subfamily Harpalinae ", i.e. as sister to a group Pterostichini . Subsequent authors have placed it between Harpalini and Chlaeniini ( Csiki 1931), near chaetogenyines, chlaeniines, oodines, and licinines ( Callistitae sensu Erwin and Sims (1984) and Erwin (1985, 1991)) in Licininae ( Lorenz 2005) in Pterostichitae ( Moore et al. 1987) or Pterostichini ( Lawrence and Slipinski 2013). Moore (1965) did not include Cuneipectus in his treatment of Australian Pterostichinae. Aside from the original description, there has not been a discussion of the characteristics of Cuneipectus . Its variable placement, non-inclusion in Moore's (1965) treatment and frequent association with Chlaeniini and Licinini by various authors apparently stems from the species being described as having a single supraorbital setae in combination with the presence of an elytral plica. However, supraorbital seta number is variable, with some individuals having one and others two above each eye. Other characteristics are typical of Australian Pterostichini , including the presence of the spermathecal gland duct diverticulum (sgd) in the female ( Liebherr and Will 1998). The sgd is typical in many pterostichines including Australian taxa like Prosopogmus Chaudoir, 1865 ( Will 2011), Paranurus Tshitshérine, 1901 ( Liebherr and Will 1998) and Trichosternus Chaudoir, 1865 (Will unpubl.). The sgd is not known to be present in any Chlaeniini or Licinini . Additionally, preliminary analyses of DNA data (Will unpubl.) consistently places Cuneipectus with Australian Pterostichini . Based on this evidence, Cuneipectus is placed in Pterostichini and Cuneipectini is synonymized.