Theprisa Moore, 1963

Liebherr, James K., Porch, Nick, Shaw, Matthew, Sinclair, Bronte E. & Maddison, David R., 2021, Systematic revision of the trans-Bassian moriomorphine genus Theprisa Moore (Coleoptera, Carabidae), ZooKeys 1044, pp. 339-373 : 339

Theprisa Moore, 1963

Theprisa Moore, 1963b: 285 (type species Phersita convexa Sloane, 1920: 156) by original designation.

Diagnosis.

This genus is diagnosable within Moriomorphini by: 1, mesosternum broad between mesocoxae; 2, mandibular scrobe present, margined ventrally by a lateral expansion; 3, mesotibia gracile, not expanded apically; 4, apical two maxillary palpomeres and apical labial palpomere apparently glabrous; 5, prosternal process not margined apicoventrally; 6, elytral striation nearly complete, striae 1-7 all developed apically, and striae 6-8 as deep or only slightly shallower than striae 1-5 near elytral midlength ( Liebherr 2020). The mandibles are moderately elongate, with the mandibular length measured from the anterior condyle 1.7-1.9 × distance from anterior condyle to apicolateral margin of labrum. The ligula is broadly rounded to truncate apically, bisetose, with the two setae separated by 2-3 diameters of the setal articulatory sockets. The paraglossae are elongate and thin, their overall length 2-3 × the distance from the paraglossal base to the apical ligular margin. The mentum tooth is present, its apex narrowly rounded to subacuminate and its lateral margins upraised. Both lateral and basal pronotal setae are present. The elytra lack dorsal setae except for T. otway sp. nov., which has a single dorsal seta near midlength. The parascutellar seta is present. There are 13 lateral elytral setae associated with the eighth stria, arranged in an anterior series of seven setae and a posterior series of six, and both subapical and apical elytral setae are present. As in many moriomorphines, the apical portion of interval 8 immediately laterad stria 7 is upraised as a distinct carina. Also, the metathoracic flight wings are vestigial in all Theprisa , with the metepisternum foreshortened; its maximum width subequal to greater than the lateral length.