Pseudophorticus Erwin

Erwin, Terry L., 2004, The beetle family Carabidae of Costa Rica and Panamá: Descriptions of four new genera and six new species with notes on their way of life (Insecta: Coleoptera), Zootaxa 537, pp. 1-18 : 7-8

Pseudophorticus Erwin , new genus

(Fig. 5)

Type species. Pseudophorticus puncticollis Erwin , new species

Derivation of genus name. Some species of this new genus were described originally in either the genus Euphorticus or Lachnophorus , but those collectives in my opinion were too inclusive, hence “false Euphorticus ” or Pseudophorticus , used as a masculine noun, seems appropriate for those species that are not true Euphorticus .

Diagnosis. (Fig. 5). Ultimate palpomeres fusiform, pointed, not acuminate or subulate. Elytral interneurs more deeply punctate on anterior half, slightly less so on posterior half; elytron with densely setigerous disc with scattered supplemental stiff pale setae, setae erect and at least a few longer; elytron without transverse depression; elytral apex obliquely truncate; abdominal sterna III­VII with extensive vestiture.

Geographic distribution. Neotropical, from Costa Rica to Perú and Brazil (probably also in Bolivia and Venezuela).

Notes. Members of this new genus differ from Euphorticus in several attributes. Euphorticus adults have a smooth surface on the prontoum, Pseudophorticus adults are markedly rugose and punctate. Euphorticus adults have long black setae sparsely distributed dorsally, Pseudophorticus adults have shorter amber­colored setae densely distributed dorsally. Euphorticus adults require moist or wet soils in open habitats, Pseudophorticus adults live inside the forest on dry (even dusty) soils, or for example on the soils pushed up to the surface by members of the ant genus, Atta Fabricius. Adults lack the transverse elytral sulcus found in members of Lachnophorus .

In addition, the following species described originally in the genus Euphorticus or Lachnophorus are transferred to Pseudophorticus : Pseudophorticus semirufa (Bates) from Lachnophorus ( Bates 1878:603) ; Pseudophorticus lucidus (Bates) from Lachnophorus ( Bates 1883:154) ; Pseudophorticus subauratus (Bates) from Euphorticus ( Bates 1884:293) , new combinations.