Abariform clade
Kipling Will
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close boxIntroduction
Members of the primarily Neotropical genera Pseudabarys, Neotalus and Abaris are relatively small ground beetles. Most individuals are brilliantly metallic with very prominent eyes. These characteristics give them a unique look that is very similar to the Australian genus Prosopogmus.
A few of the abariform species have been treated taxonomically. Straneo (1939) published a key to the eight then named species of Abaris and Bousquet (1984) added a ninth species when he discovered that LeConte’s Pterostichus splendidulus belonged in the genus Abaris. Bousquet and Liebherr (1994) summarized what little had been published on the relationships of the genus Abaris and covered nearly all the genera included herein. Will (2002) revised Abaris and Neotalus, providing a key to species and biogeographic analysis for the group.
Characteristics
Included taxa have characteristics of Euchroina and very prominent eyes. Abaris species are uniquely characterized among all Pterostichine grade taxa by pectinate claws.
The combination of large eyes, pectinate claws, and metallic luster suggests that Abaris species may have peculiar life histories or behaviors relative to related genera that have characteristics more typical for pterostichine grade taxa. However, the limited field observations for these species do not provide incontrovertible evidence for any adaptive significance for this suite of characteristics. Both Abaris and Pseudabarys are collected in leaf litter, sometimes in or near fallen rotten fruits or flower petals.
References
Bates, H. W. 1871. Notes on Carabidae, and descriptions of new species (no.1). Entomologist's Monthly Magazine 7.
Bousquet, Y. 1984. Redescription of Abaris splendidula (Leconte) new combination (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Pterostichini). The Coleopterists Bulletin 38:384-389.
Bousquet, Y., and J. K. Liebherr. 1994. Larval description of Abaris bigenera Bates, 1882, and notes on relationships of the genus Abaris Dejean, 1831 (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Pterostichini). Journal of the New York Entomological Society. 102:435-441.
Chaudoir, M. d. 1873. Matériaux pour servir á l'étude des féroniens. Bull. Soc. Imp. Nat. Moscou 46:85-116.
Dejean, P. F. M. A. 1825-1831. Species général des Coléoptéres de la collection de M. LeComte Dejean, Mequignon-Marvis, Paris.
LeConte, J. L. 1863. New species of North American coleoptera. Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collection 167:1-86.
Straneo, S. 1939. On the genus Abaris Dej. (Coleoptera: Carabidae). Psyche 46:38-41.
Will, K. W. 2002. Revision of the new world abariform genera Neotalus n. gen. and Abaris Dejean (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Pterostichini (Auctorum). Annals of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History 71:143-213.
Title Illustrations
| Scientific Name | Abaris aenea |
|---|---|
| Identified By | K.Will |
| Life Cycle Stage | Adult |
| Body Part | Habitus |
| View | Dorsal |
| Image Use |
 This media file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License - Version 3.0.
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| Copyright |
© Kipling Will
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About This Page
Kipling Will
University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
Correspondence regarding this page should be directed to Kipling Will at
Page copyright © 2006 Kipling Will
Page: Tree of Life
Abariform clade.
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- First online 07 July 2006
- Content changed 21 October 2006
Citing this page:
Will, Kipling. 2006. Abariform clade. Version 21 October 2006 (under construction). http://tolweb.org/Abariform_clade/51566/2006.10.21 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/
