Phylogenetic relationships of genus Pelophila Dejean to other basal grade Carabidae (Coleoptera)

Traditionally, genus Pelophila Dejean has been placed in the tribe Nebriini, along with Nebria Latreille and Leistus Frolich. A phylogenetic analysis of basal grade caraboid lineages, based on 244 characters of adult morphology, suggests that this classification does not reflect accurately the phylogenetic relationships of Pelophila. A clade including the Notiokasiini (Notiokasis Kavanaugh & Negre), Notiophilini (Notiophilus Dumeril), and Opisthiini (Opisthius Kirby and Paropisthius Casey) is more closely related to a clade including Nebria and Leistus than either clade is to Pelophila. Within supertribe Nebriitae, a new tribe, the Pelophilini, is proposed to include the two known species of Pelophila.