Dromius Bonelli, 1810

Genus Dromius Bonelli, 1810 View in CoL

Dromius Bonelli, 1810: Tabula Synoptica. Type species: Carabus quadrimaculatus Linnaeus, 1758 by subsequent monotypy in Samouelle (1819: 155). Etymology. Probably from the Greek dromeus (runner) and alluding to the agility of the adults in the field [masculine]. Note. Madge (1975: 582) pointed out that the type species of Dromius Bonelli, 1810 should be Carabus truncatellus Linnaeus, 1760 by subsequent monotypy in Panzer (1813: 73). That species is now included in the genus Syntomus Hope, 1838. Acceptance of this species as type species of Dromius would require nomenclatural changes for both Dromius and Syntomus . A request should be addressed to the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature to set aside Carabus truncatellus Linnaeus, 1760 as type species of Dromius Bonelli, 1810.

Dromaeus Billberg, 1820: 26. Unjustified emendation of Dromius Bonelli, 1810.

Ocaeus Gistel, 1848a: ix. Unnecessary replacement name for Dromius Bonelli, 1810.

Diversity.

About 105 species (Lorenz 2005: 475-477) in the Nearctic (two species), Neotropical (20 species), Australian (one adventive species in New Zealand), Oriental, Palaearctic (53 species), and Afrotropical Regions. These species are placed in three subgenera: Dromius s.str. (about 50 species), Obodromius Jedlička (one species), and Klepterus Péringuey (47 species), with six species unplaced.