The proposed research is part of a unified plan, in progress since 1968, to increase knowledge of the classification, phylogeny, and biogeography of harpaline carabid beetles (Carabidae: Coleoptera). The project includes three species level revisions: (1) the 30 species of the nominate subgenus of Anisodactylus; (2) the eight species of the subgenus Anadaptus (genus Anisodactylus); and (3) the approximately 25 North American and probably also the approximately 25 species from elsewhere of the subgenus Stenolophus (genus Stenolophus). Completion of the three species level revisions will allow accurate identification of adults of groups possibly suitable for monitoring of environmental changes in wetlands. The three groups were selected because comparison of data from the three studies will provide insights into biogeographical topics such as: (1) production of new species in refuges; (2) vicariance (splitting of ancestral species by the development of geographical barriers) induced by the Cochise Filter/barrier in the south western United States; (3) changes in geographical ranges over time; and (4) differences in distribution patterns of taxa in areas with and areas without once extensive lowland Wisconsin glaciation. Data from the present study will be combined with that from a former study of the genus Harpalus to propose and test general models for the evolution of new species of North American carabid beetles.
