Taxonomy of south indian harpalinae Coleoptera Carabidae

Abstract

Harpalinae, one of the 24 Indian subfamilies of Carabidae, is a diverse andabundant group of ground beetles that serves as a valuable bioindicator and biocontrolagent due to its habitat preferences and adaptability to environmental conditions.Taxonomic work on Indian Carabidae was originally based on Andrewes’ Fauna ofBritish India volumes: Volume 1 (1929) on Carabinae and Volume II (1935) onHarpalinae. However, the second volume is confusing because although it is titledHarpalinae, it does not include the 83 Harpalinae species catalogued by Andrewes(1930). Later, with the modern classification of Carabidae by Lorenz (2005), the groupsdescribed by Andrewes (1929, 1935) were reassigned to different subfamilies. Thisreorganization means that Andrewes’ system no longer matches the current taxonomy. Asa result, Indian species and genera cannot be reliably identified today using Andrewes(1935), since the names, group boundaries, and subfamily placements have changedunder modern classification.The classic works of Andrewes laid foundational knowledge, but omissions inthese works, coupled with the lack of acknowledgment of subsequent taxonomicrevisions like those outlined by Lorenz in 2005, have made it difficult to achieve clarityin this area. Andrewes (1930) documented 83 Indian Harpalinae species, whereasAndrewes (1935) provided no detailed treatment of the subfamily. Lorenz (2005)presented a systematic list of species within the subfamily. However, a comprehensivetaxonomic account of the genera and species was unavailable. As a result, understandingand classifying many Indian Carabidae subfamilies remained complex and uncertain.Taxonomic keys, descriptions, and a comprehensive checklist of Indian Harpalinae, basedon modern classification provided in the present effort will help to streamline and clarifythe taxonomy of Indian Harpalinae. Present study reported 54 Harpalinae speciesbelonging to 20 genera within three tribes from south India which include a new speciesand a first report from India.