Monograph of Lebia (Chelonodema) (Coleoptera, Carabidae)

Abstract

The species of Neotropical Lebiini formerly placed in the genus Lia Eschscholtz, 1829 (type-species, Lebia dorsalis Dejean, 1826) are shown to form 2 distinct groups. Lia is synowymized with the subgenus Lebia Latreille, 1802. The bulk of the species, however, is kept in Chelonodema Castelnau, 1834 (type-species, Lebia testacea Dejean, 1831), a generic name formerly placed in the synonymy of Lia Eschscholtz, and now considered a subgenus of Lebia Latreille. The following 4 species are transferred to Lebia s. str.: decolor (Bates), dorsalis Dejean (with its variety unimaculata Liebke as a synonym), sellata Dejean and figurata (Chaudoir). A related species, pallida (type-locality, Brazil, Amapá, Rio Cassiporé), is described. The species of Chelonodema (39) are revised. The following new synonymies are established: Lia zunilensis Bates = Lebia ocelligera (Bates); Lia quadrinotata subsp. longa Liebke = Lebia quadrinotata Chevrolat; Lia clavata var. cordobana Liebke = Lebia clavata (Liebke); Lia comma Putzeys = Lebia duodecipunctata Dejean; Lia mystica Liebke - Lebia nigropicta (Chaudoir); and Lia sulcatula Liebke = Lebia signatipennis Perty. The following 15 species are described as new (their type-localities as follows): from Brazil, sagarana (Goiás, Cabeceiras), quipapa (Pernambuco, Quipapá), ytu (São Paulo, Itu), birai (Minas Gerais, Serra do Caraça), baturitea (Ceará, Serra do Baturité). omophoita (Amazonas, Igarapé Belém), cyclopica (Pará, "Tapajoz"), pujoli (Bahia, Condeúba) and mocoronga (Pará, Santarém); erotyloides (Venezuela. Aragua, Rancho Grande); azteca (Mexico, Chiapas, Ocozocuautla); balli (Mexico, Oaxaca, Tehuantepec); howdeni (Colombia, Valle, Anchicaya Dam); mathani (Peru, San Martin, Moyobamba); and. passoura (French Guiana, Passoura).