Bembicidium (Plataphus), Motschulsky, 1864

Bousquet, Yves, 2012, Catalogue of Geadephaga (Coleoptera, Adephaga) of America, north of Mexico, ZooKeys 245, pp. 1-1722 : 415

Subgenus Plataphus Motschulsky, 1864

Plataphus Motschulsky, 1864: 184. Type species: Elaphrus prasinus Duftschmid, 1812 designated by Jeannel (1941b: 532). Etymology. From the Greek platys (flat) and phos (light, by extension appearance), alluding to the flat body (" corps très déprimé ") of the adult [masculine]. Note. Concerning the type species designation, see Bousquet (2002b: 40).

Plataphodes Ganglbauer, 1891a: 152. Type species: Peryphus fellmanni Mannerheim, 1823 by monotypy. Synonymy established by Maddison (2012: 569). Etymology. From the generic name Plataphus [q.v.] and the Greek suffix - odes (likeness), alluding to the resemblance of the species to those of Plataphus [masculine].

Micromelomalus Casey, 1918: 37. Type species: Bembidium planiusculum Mannerheim, 1843 designated by Netolitzky (1943b: 61). Synonymy established by Netolitzky (1943b: 61). Etymology. From the Greek micros (small, little) and the generic name Melomalus [q.v.] [masculine].

Trachelonepha Casey, 1918: 37. Type species: Bembidium falsum Blaisdell, 1902 designated by Lindroth (1963b: 283). Synonymy established by Lindroth (1963b: 283). Etymology. From the Greek trachelos (neck, by extension pronotum) and the generic name Nepha [feminine].

Diversity.

Northern Hemisphere, with about 75 species in the Nearctic (36 species) and Palaearctic (45 species) Regions. Only two species ( Bembidion hyperboraeorum and Bembidion prasinum Duftschmid) occur in Europe. Seven species are Holarctic, some of them represented by different subspecies in the Nearctic and Palaearctic Regions.

Identification.

Lindroth (1963b: 268-297, as simplex, kuprianovii, incertum, and planiusculum groups) covered all the species found in North America except Bembidion falsum , Bembidion oppressum , Bembidion vandykei , and Bembidion placeranum . Subsequently to Lindroth’s (1963b) work, the names of five species were changed because of homonymy or synonymy: Bembidion flebile for Bembidion curtulatum , Bembidion lenense for Bembidion sulcipenne , Bembidion coerulescens for Bembidion neocoerulescens , Bembidion incertum for Bembidion breve , and Bembidion ochropus for Bembidion manningense . Species identifications are difficult and examination of the male genitalia is usually required for confirmation.