Pediomorphus Chaudoir, 1878

Kipling, Will, 2020, Phylogeny and classification of the genus-group taxa of Loxandrina (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Abacetini), Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 67 (2), pp. 151-182 : 151

Genus Pediomorphus Chaudoir, 1878

Type species.

Pediomorphus planiusculus Chaudoir, 1878: 29, by monotypy.

Selected literature.

Review of genus, key to species and synonymies ( Will 2010, 2015b, 2019).

Described species and range.

Thirteen species all restricted to Australia.

Adult morphology.

Species of Pediomorphus are small, 3.5-8.2 mm (most around 4.5 mm), dorsoventrally depressed, usually pale, flavous or castaneous, usually with crenulate elytral stria. All species have enlarged labial palpomeres with a setose, ventral sensorium, subocular carina, evident elytral plica, and lack elytral discal setae.

Life history notes.

Pediomorphus are commonly taken at lights at night and are known from open habitats ( Moore 1965), under cow dung and at the edge of swamp ( Sloane 1900), and I have found them under matts of dead grass along a flooded ditch ( Will 2019).

Discussion.

The species included form a well-supported clade sister to Zeodera . In addition to DNA sequence data for the exemplars, the modified palps and derived lack of dorsal puncture on the elytra found in all species are synapomorphies.