Notes on the taxonomy of the genus Carabus L. (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in Croatia

There are various opinions on the taxonomy of the genus Carabus Linnaeus 1758 and the taxonomic position of some species and lower taxa has still not been determined. The genus Carabus has 132 species in Europe, while 32 species, 53 subspecies and 81 forms and aberrations have been determined for Croatia. This paper provides a review of all species of the genus Carabus in Croatia, with a reference to the problems in taxonomy. One problem consists of the very large number of synonyms, particularly in older literature, and in the substitution of old with the new names, as well as the taxonomic status of certain taxa. The greatest number of synonyms is recorded for the subspecies of the species C. catenulatus Scopoli 1763. The subspecies C. hortensis neumeyeri Schaum 1856 is mentioned by some authors as subspecies of C. preslii Dejean 1830, because of certain similarities. Many authors agree that the species C. croaticus Dejean 1826, a Croatian endemic, has been insufficiently investigated and it is necessary to confirm its taxonomic status. Forms, aberrations and subspecies of certain species recorded in Croatia are not to be found in the latest checklists and atlases in Europe, and it is necessary to determine their taxonomic status within the genus. Redeterminations and reclassifications with the assistance of morphological and molecular biological methods are necessary for the taxonomic problems to be solved.