Estudio sistemático del género Steropus (sensu Jeannel, 1942) de la fauna íbero-mauritánica (1ª parte) (Coleoptera, Caraboidea, Pterostichidae)

Resumen

Systematic study of the genus Steropus (sensu Jeannel, 1942) of the Ibero-mauritanican fauna
(Part 1) (Coleoptera, Caraboidea, Pterostichidae)
The morphology of the ibero-muntanican species of the genus Steropus is studied and compared with that of other species o£ middle Europe and with close genera. The main characters to revise the systematics o£ the genus are the molar cusps of the mandible and the cleaning mesotibial organ. Taking these and other characters into account the genus Steropus (sensu Jeannel, 1942) is split into two new genenc groups: Steropus (sensu novo) and Corax (nov. status); three new subgenera are also proposed:Iberopus (nov. subgen.), Sterocorax (nov. subgen.) and Paleocorax (nov. subgen.), for which a key of classification is elaborated. An hypothesis to explain the colonization of the Ibenan Peninsula and Marocco by the species o£ these genera is proposed.