Pseudomorpha

Pseudomorpha is a myrmecophilous genus of Carabid beetle restricted to the Western Hemisphere. Pseudomorpha and some related genera are obligatory myrmecophiles in their larval stages. There are 27 described species with more than 100 undescribed species. As far as is known, adults are found in and around ant nests and in the surrounding vicinity; females are ovoviviparous (Liebherr and Kavanaugh 1985); larvae are known to be ant nest inquilines (Lenko 1972; Erwin 1981), or perhaps living with termites (Ogueta 1967). Of adults found at lights (UV, MV, and white light), most are males. Members of this genus are known to occur from Oregon, Idaho, and Colorado in the north to Argentina in the south, including the Caribbean area, and in southern Australia. They should be looked for in southern Wyoming, where they are also likely to occur. The only eastern species, P. excrucians Kirby, is related to species from the Caribbean and South America, not to those lineages from the American west and southwest.

Diagnosis. Form moderately depressed or rarely subcylindrical, narrow or broad, lean or robust, head visible from above, legs concealed beneath when in repose. Color ranges from black to light brown, rarely slightly rufous; only adults of P. excrucians Kirby, Yasunimorpha piranhna Erwin & Geraci, Guyanemorpha spectablis Erwin from Guyane are markedly bicolored. Head with mouthparts visible in dorsal aspect; ventrally beneath eye with deeply recessed groove for insertion of antennal base; mandibular scrobe nearly effaced, delimited by row of short stout setae; mentum and submentum fused; antennal scape partially visible in dorsal aspect. Anterior coxal cavities closed, median coxal cavities conjunct, metepimeron visible. Abdomen with six visible sterna, sternum III with broad medial emargination on posterior margin; sterna V and VI in male with dense row of decumbent and yellowish robust setae medially. Male parameres long, nearly of same length (more or less symmetrical), glabrous or setose, not balteate; phallobase bonnet-shaped, crested or not.

The species groups of Pseudomorpha Kirby 1825 and their known distributions (note that some species group names are based on yet undescribed species in Erwin in prep.) Alleni group. AZ, UT Augustata group. AZ, CA, NV, NM, TX, UT, México Behrensi group. CA, CO, ID, NV, NM, OR, UT Caterinoi group. CA Consanguinea group. AZ, CA Cronkhitei group. AZ, CA Chumash group. CA Cylindrica group. NM, TX, México Excrucians group. AR, GA, LA, MS, SC, Argentina, Brazil, Dominican Republic Falli group. CA Hubbardi group. AZ, NM, TX Parallela group. CA, Haiti Peninsularis group. AZ, CA, CO, NV, NM, OR, UT, México Phiara group. TX Pilatei group. TX, Costa Rica, Guatemala, México Santarita group. AZ, NM, México Subsulcata group. NM Tenebroides group. AZ, CA, NV, NM, UT Vindicata group. CO, ID, UT