Overview of Geadephaga (Coleoptera: Adephaga) from Brazil and systematics of the genus Diplacanthogaster Liebke, 1932 (Carabidae: Lebiinae: Odacanthini)

Abstract

This dissertation is organized into two chapters. The first chapter, “Overview of Geadephaga (Coleoptera: Adephaga) from Brazil”, presents a synthesis of the diversity of Geadephaga in Brazil based on data from the Brazilian Taxonomic Catalog of Fauna (CTFB). It includes quantitative data on genera and species recorded in Brazil, as well as the authors responsible for species descriptions. It also provides information on entomological collections in Brazil relevant to the study of Geadephaga, the literature available for identification, and an assessment of gender disparity in species descriptions. The second chapter, “Systematics of the genus Diplacanthogaster Liebke, 1932 (Carabidae: Lebiinae: Odacanthini)”, focuses on a taxonomic revision of Diplacanthogaster and a phylogenetic hypothesis for the genus. Following the revision, six species are recognized. The genus Diplacanthogaster and Diplacanthogaster bicolor Liebke, 1932 are redescribed, and five new species are described: Diplacanthogaster sp. 1 sp. n., Diplacanthogaster sp. 2 sp. n., Diplacanthogaster sp. 3 sp. n., Diplacanthogaster sp. 4 sp. n., and Diplacanthogaster sp. 5 sp. n. Phylogenetic relationships are investigated based on adult external morphology, and the reconstructed phylogeny did not recover the monophyly of the genus. Overall, the results expand current knowledge of Geadephaga in Brazil and contribute to the understanding of Neotropical fauna.