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Carabidae Conjunctae

David R. Maddison
taxon links [down<--]Carabidae [up-->]Psydrini [up-->]Melaenini [up-->]Cymbionotini [up-->]Broscini [up-->]Apotomini [up-->]Trechini [up-->]Zolini [up-->]Pogonini [up-->]Bembidiini [up-->]Patrobini [up-->]Amblytelini [up-->]Brachinitae [up-->]Harpalinae Interpreting the tree
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Containing group: Carabidae

Characteristics

This informal group of carabids is characterized by a derived feature of their middle coxal cavities, in which the mesosternum and metasternum surround the mesocoxae, forming both the mesal and lateral walls of the coxae. Such mesocoxal cavities are called "conjunct", and they give this group its name. In contrast, most carabids outside of this group have disjunct mesocoxal cavities, in which the the lateral wall of the cavity is formed in part by the mesepimeron (the sterna thus being disjunct on the lateral wall of the cavity). Outside of the Carabidae Conjunctae, the only carabids with conjunct mesocoxal cavities are the Notiophilini and some Paussini (Kavanaugh and Nègre, 1982; Beutel, 1991).

In addition, the posterior edge of the metepimeron of these carabids is lobed, and partly overlaps the first visible abdominal sternum.

References

Maddison, D.R., M.D. Baker, and K.A. Ober. 1999. Phylogeny of carabid beetles as inferred from 18S ribosomal DNA (Coleoptera: Carabidae). Systematic Entomology, 24:103-138.

Title Illustrations

From left to right:

Photographs copyright © 1995, David R. Maddison.

Scientific Name Bembidion confusum
Location USA: Iowa: Manchester
Specimen Condition Dead Specimen
Copyright © 2004 David R. Maddison
About This Page

David R. Maddison

Department of Entomology
University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ 85721

Correspondence regarding this page should be directed to David R. Maddison at

Citing this page:

Maddison, David R. 1995. Carabidae Conjunctae. Version 01 January 1995 (under construction). http://tolweb.org/Carabidae_Conjunctae/66/1995.01.01 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/

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Carabidae Conjunctae

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