THE MIDDLE AMERICAN GENUS ONYPTERYGIA-DEJEAN (INSECTA, COLEOPTERA, CARABIDAE, PLATYNINI) - A TAXONOMIC REVISION OF THE SPECIES, WITH NOTES ABOUT THEIR WAY OF LIFE AND GEOGRAPHICAL-DISTRIBUTION

Keys, descriptions, and illustrations distinguish the known species of the Middle American genus Onypterygia Dejean (type species Onypterygi a fulgens Dejean), and each taxon is characterized in terms of structu ral features of adults, habitat, geographical distribution, and chorol ogical affinities. For allopatric species that are markedly similar in structural features, a hypothesis of phylogenetic relationship is pos tulated. Fifteen new species are described. The species of Onypterygia are arranged in seven groups, sequenced according to judgment about e xtent of departure from a generalized platynine body plan (type areas for new species in parentheses): O. famini group, including O. famini Solier and O. cyanea Chaudoir; O. wappesi group, including O. wappesi, n. sp. (Mexico, Guerrero, Sierra de Atoyac); O. amecameca, n. sp. (Me xico, state of Mexico, Amecameca):, O. atoyac, n. sp. (Mexico, Guerrer o, Sierra de Atoyac); O. shpeleyi, n. sp. (Mexico, Guerrero, Sierra de Atoyac); and O. pacifica, n. sp. (Mexico, Oaxaca, Sierra de Miahuatla n); O. aeneipennis group, including O. batesi, n. sp. (Mexico, Tamauli pas, Sierra Madre Oriental [Sierra de Guatemala]), O. aeneipennis Chau doir, O. cupricauda Casey, O. stenapteryx, n. sp. (Mexico, Michoacan, Sierra Transvolcanica West), O. pallidipes Chaudoir, and O. rubida Bat es; the O. perissostigma group, including only O. perissostigma, n. sp . (Mexico, Oaxaca, Sierra de Juarez), the O. pusilla group, including O. pusilla Chaudoir and O. rawlinsi, n. sp. (Mexico, Nayarit, Sierra T ransvolcanica West); the O. angustata group, including O. longispinis Bates, O. angustata Chevrolat, O. pseudangustata, n. sp. (Mexico, Pueb la, Sierra Trans-volcanic East), and O. striblingi, n. sp. (Mexico, Oa xaca, Sierra de Juarez); and O. fulgens group, including O. iris Chaud oir, O. championi Bates, O. donate Ball and Shpeley, O. chrysura Bates , O. kathleenae, n. sp. (Mexico, Oaxaca, Sierra de Juarez), O. exeuros , n. sp. (Mexico, Oaxaca, Sierra de Juarez), O. polytreta, n. sp. (Pan ama, Chiriqui Province, Talamancan Cordillera, Cerro Pando), O. crabil li, n. sp. (Costa Rica, Puntarenas Province, Talamancan Cordillera, Mo nteverde), O. quadrispinosa Bates, O. scintillans, n. sp. (probably Co sta Rica, Talamancan Cordillera), O. Sulgens Dejean, O. tricolor Dejea n, O. hoepfneri Dejean, and O. sallei Chaudoir. New synonymy is as fol lows: O. cyanea Chaudoir, 1878 = O. valdestriata Bates, 1884; O. fulge ns Dejean, 1831 = O. thoreyi Mannerheim, 1844; O. tricolor Dejean, 183 1 = O. apicalis Chaudoir, 1837 = O. tricolor var. dimidiata Chevrolat, 1837. Other synonyms are as published by previous authors. Geographic al distribution of Onypterygia is analyzed in terms of altitudinal ran ge, and nine areas of precinction, each of which is highland isolated by surrounding lowlands. The areas are, from south to north: Talamanca n Cordillera; Chiapan-Guatemalan Highlands; Sierra Madre de Oaxaca; Si erra de Miahuatlan; Sierra de Atoyac; Sierra Transvolcanica East and W est; Sierra Madre Oriental and Occidental. Seven areas have representa tives of four to six species groups, but the northwestern most (Sierra Madre Occidental) and southernmost (Talamancan Cordillera) have only two groups. At the species level, the northern centers (Sierra Madre O riental and Occidental) lack precinctive species, but the southern Tal amancan Cordillera has nine such species. Speciation, then, has been m ost frequent in the more southerly centers. Probably the northern cent ers have been invaded relatively recently, or evidence of older invasi ons has been lost because of extinctions.