A taxonomic review of the Selenophori group (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Harpalini) in the West Indies, with descriptions of new species and notes about classification and biogeography.

Primarily a taxonomic review of the West Indian elements of the selenophorine Harpalini, this paper includes a classification, a key, descriptions and illustrations of taxa, re-rankings, and new synonymies. In total, 45 species and subspecies are treated, six of which are described as new. A new genus and new species are as follows, with type localities in parentheses: , (type species Mutchler, 1934); , (Zamba, Dominican Republic); , species group (Benjamin Constant, state of Amazonas, Brazil); , species group (near Soroa, Pinar del Rio Province, Cuba); , species group (Big River, Montserrat, 16°45.719N', 62°11.335W'); , species group (Vernou, Guadeloupe, Lesser Antilles); and , species group (Cabo Rojo, Pedernales Province, Dominican Republic). This last species was misidentified as (Fabricius). In turn, that species was misidentified as Dejean. Dejean is a junior synonym of Fabricius, ; and Kirby is a junior synonym of Dejean, Biogeographically, log of land area plotted against log of number of species shows that the equilibrium theory of biogeography applies to the West Indian selenophorine fauna. Taxonomically, the selenophorine taxa of the West Indies are arranged in eight genera. The 30 species/subspecies of () are arranged in 10 species groups. Geographically, the major sources of the selenophorines are the Bahamas, the Greater Antilles and Lesser Antilles. The West Indian islands probably have been invaded by 26 taxa. Of the currently extant taxa, 11 are classified as , meaning that they are represented both in the islands and on the mainland (South America or Middle America and southern Florida). Thirty three taxa are classified as , meaning that they originated where they are now living, the implication being that they have descended from immigrants, thus older in the islands than the current-day immigrants. It is postulated that the West Indian taxa represent three age groups: oldest, ancestors having reached the proto-Antilles by a landspan known as GAARlandia; a middle-age group (Neogene period), their ancestors having reached the islands by dispersal over water, between islands; and a young group of extant taxa, no older than the Pleistocene, also having reached the islands over water.