A revision of the North American Cardiophorus (Coleoptera: Elateridae) species found east of the Rocky Mountains

Described taxonomic history of the genus Cardiophorus in North America and revised species found east of the Rocky Mountains.

All Cardiophorus species found east of the Rocky Mountains are keyed and all but those with the majority of their ranges west of the Rocky Mountains are revised. Eleven species are recognised, three of which are new to science (C. catskillensis sp.nov., C. destini sp.nov., and C. panamapolis sp.nov.). Cardiophorus floridae Candèze 1865 and C. angustatus Blanchard 1889 are new junior synonyms of C. convexus (Say 1823). All eleven are described and taxonomically important characters are described. Distribution maps and full locality records are presented for each species.

A phylogenetic analysis was performed based upon a data matrix of 46 characters was made for 11 eastern Cardiophorus species, 3 western one, and 4 North American non-Cardiophorus cardiophorine genera, using a member of Eucnemidae as an outgroup. The primary purposes of this were to test the monophyly of North American Cardiophorus and that of the eastern species component. The Cardiophorus species included formed a single clade, although Aptopus rugiceps Kirby 1818 was nested deeply within it, suggesting that either it should be included in Cardiophorus, or that Cardiophorus should be divided into several genera. Results indicated multiple faunal movements between the eastern and western parts of the continent but were ambiguous as to the direction of movement.

Structures of the bursa copulatrix, many of which had not previously been described in North American Cardiophorus were used in the phylogenetic analysis and will likely be useful in clarifying the genus and species group level classification of Cardiophorinae.