Harpalus Latreille, 1802

Bousquet, Yves, 2012, Catalogue of Geadephaga (Coleoptera, Adephaga) of America, north of Mexico, ZooKeys 245, pp. 1-1722 : 686

Genus Harpalus Latreille, 1802

Harpalus Latreille, 1802: 92. Type species: Carabus proteus Paykull, 1790 (= Carabus affinis Schrank, 1781) designated by Andrewes (1935: 19). Etymology (see Latreille 1804: 325). From the Greek harpaleos (grasping, greedy, voracious, by extension living by plunder) [masculine]. According to Mulsant (1830: 327), so named " à cause de la guerre qu’ils font aux insectes plus faibles qu’eux.” Note. As stated by Andrewes (1935) and Noonan (1976: 31), the first valid type species designation for Harpalus Latreille is Carabus ruficornis Fabricius, 1775 (= Carabus rufipes DeGeer, 1774) as designated by Latreille (1810: 426). This species is currently included in the subgenus Pseudoophonus Motschulsky, 1844. Acceptance of Latreille’s designation would require nomenclatural changes at the subgeneric level within the genus Harpalus . A request should be addressed to the Commission to suppress Latreille’s designation. A first request was postponed (ICZN 1950).

Harpaleus Billberg, 1820: 23. Unjustified emendation of Harpalus Latreille, 1802.

Diversity.

About 415 species (Lorenz 2005: 363-372) in the Nearctic, Neotropical (Mexico only), Australian (one adventive species in New Zealand), Oriental, Palaearctic, and Afrotropical Regions. The Northern Hemisphere is represented by about 360 species (roughly 87% of the world fauna) and North America alone by 59 species (approximately 14%). Five species are Holarctic and three North American species are adventive.