New and Little Known Species of Loxandrus LeConte 1852 (Coleoptera: Carabidae) from North and South America

Abstract

Three new species of beetles in the genus Loxandrus are described: L. straneoi from the southern United States, L. icarus from the Eastern United States, and L. quinarius from central Bolivia. Loxandrus icarus, inhabitant of wet lowland habitat, is unique among eastern North American species in having reduced flight wings. The only other North American species with reduced flight wings, L. omiltemi Allen & Ball, is known from temperate cloud forest habitat in Mexico. Loxandrus quinarius shares a striking phenetic similarity to some members of the African caelostomine genus Strigomerus Chaudoir, and with L. strigomeroides Straneo. Illustrations of the male genitalia of L. strigomeroides and L. mirei Straneo are presented here to assist in identification of these species. The distributional range of L. strigomeroides is newly noted to extend across the Amazon basin. Loxandrus inferus Allen is placed into synonymy under L. velocipes Casey.

Keywords:

• Carabidae
• new species
• Loxandrus straneoi
• L. icarus
• L. quinarius
• brachyptery
• new synonymy