FNZ 60 - Carabidae (Insecta: Coleoptera) - Morphology and terminology
Larochelle, A; Larivière, M-C 2007. Carabidae (Insecta: Coleoptera): synopsis of supraspecific taxa. Fauna of New Zealand 60, 188 pages.
(
ISSN 0111-5383 (print),
;
no.
60.
ISBN 978-0-478-09394-0 (print),
).
Published 21 Nov 2007
ZooBank: http://zoobank.org/References/842D820C-05B3-4072-B094-73070E640945
Morphology and terminology
A diagnosis and a description of the family Carabidae are available on p. 21. Figures 118–121 provide a basic understanding of the morphological structures used to describe and identify supraspecific taxa. Most of the morphological terms used in this work can be found in Jeannel (1941–1942), Lindroth (1961–1969), Ball & Bousquet (2001), and Larochelle & Larivière (2005). A glossary of technical terms is also provided (Appendix A, p. 106).
The authors used the term interneur instead of stria in their previous revision of New Zealand Carabidae (Larochelle & Larivière, 2005; revision of the tribe Harpalini) to designate the longitudinal impressed line or row of punctures on the dorsal surface of the elytron. Although the term interneur is still in usage the authors adopt the position of Ball & Shpeley (2005) and “bow to the weight of general usage.” Consequently, the term stria is used in this synopsis.
The term ventrite instead of sternum, was also used by the authors to designate the ventral surface of each of the six visible pregenital abdominal segments of the adult. The term sternum (plural, sterna), however, is more appropriate when dealing with adult carabid morphology and it is of general use in carabid taxonomy. The sternum I in adult Carabidae is hidden internally and not visible. Consequently, the underside of the adult abdomen is divided into six visible sterna (II–VII; see Fig. 119), with the sternum II (first visible sternum) interrupted by the metacoxae, visible only laterally.