6 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 124 



Subgenus Leptoferonia Casey 



Leptoferonia Casey, 1918, pp. 321, 336-338.— Leng, 1920, p. 56. 



Pterostichus (Leptoferonia) Casey. — Van Dyke, 1925, pp. 72-75. — Csiki, 1930, 



p. 582.— Hatch, 1936, pp. 702-706; 1953, pp. 105, 111-113.— Ball, 1960, 



pp. 77, 124.— Lindroth, 1966, pp. 469-472. 



Type-species of subgenus.' — Feronia angusta Dejean, designated 

 by Casey, 1918. 



Diagnostic characteristics of Leptoferonia. — Members of the 

 subgenus Leptoferonia have the characteristics of the tribe Ptero- 

 stichini and the genus Pterostichus as listed by Ball (1960, pp. 63, 

 77; 1966, p. 13). The species of subgenus Leptoferonia share the 

 following characteristics with the subgenera Anilloferonia and 

 Hypherpes: elytra sealed together; no setiferous punctures on the 

 third or fifth stria of the elytra; metepisternum with anterior margin 

 as long as lateral margin; first and second segments of middle and 

 hind tarsi with a longitudinal ridge on outer side. Specimens of 

 Leptoferonia differ from those of Anilloferonia in having pigmented 

 and at least somewhat larger eyes. There has never been a satisfactory 

 characteristic for separating Leptoferonia from Hypherpes. The 

 species of Leptoferonia usually are smaller and often paler in color. 

 The maximum length in Leptoferonia is about 12.5 mm, and the mini- 

 mum length in Hypherpes is about 8 mm. Specimens of Leptoferonia 

 are sometimes more cylindrical or more ventricose and six species 

 lack the elytral scutellar puncture. With the exception of sphodrinus, 

 the species of Leptoferonia have a maximum of 17 setiferous punctures 

 on the margin of the elytron; in Hypherpes there are frequently more. 

 Usually Leptoferonia are either 9 mm or less in length, or, if between 

 9 and 12.5 mm, then the head is unusually large or the body form 

 cylindrical or ventricose. Hypherpes do not have large heads and 

 those with lengths less than 12 mm generally are not cylindrical or 

 ventricose. I have used the subgeneric name Leptoferonia in the sense 

 of previous authors, except that I have excluded horni LeConte. 

 Pterostichus horni LeConte (1873, p. 313) probably should be placed 

 in the subgenus Hypherpes and may be the same as P. gracilior 

 LeConte. Pterostichus arizonicus Schaeffer is a member of the subgenus 

 Lthytolus (fide Darlington, 1936) and not a Leptoferonia, as some 

 authors have supposed. 



Notes on ecology.' — Most Leptoferonia are members of the 

 Vancouveran fauna (see Hatch, 1953, pp. 20-24 and Van Dyke, 

 1919). In Oregon, at least, adults can be found the year around, 

 even under permanent winter snow. Frequently they are the most 

 common ground beetles in coniferous forests. I am unfamiliar with 

 the larval and pupal stages. Adults can be found under branches 

 and logs on the forest floor. Sometimes they are inside rotten logs 



