Predaceous carabid beetles are important elements in the fragile ecosystems of caves worldwide, and provide valuable insights into the mechanisms of post-glacial dispersal and evolution especially in eastern North America where the cave beetle fauna is dominated by species of the endemic genus Pseudanophthalmus. The present treatment provides a comprehensive overview of the 145 species and subspecies considered to be valid, with a new classification recognizing 26 species-groups and a complete listing of relevant taxonomic literature. The annotated checklist emphasizes distribution and relationships, and a concluding appendix summarizes distribution by state and county.
This information-packed account by the leading authority on cave beetles will prove essential for speleobiologists as well as coleopterists interested in the family Carabidae.