Harpalinae is a huge subfamily of ground beetles that contains 20,000 species or ~6,400 spp. in 24 tribes worldwide, according to others. A rarely used common name for the subfamily is the harp beetles. The Harpalinae contain the most apomorphic ground beetles, displaying a wide range of forms and behaviors. Some are, rare among ground beetles, omnivores or even herbivores. Many closely related subfamilies have been treated as subordinate taxa of the Harpalinae by various authors. Among these are the Dryptinae, Lebiinae (including Cyclosominae, Mormolycinae, Odacanthinae, Perigoninae), Licininae (including Chlaeniinae, Oodinae), Orthogoniinae, Panagaeinae, Platyninae, Pseudomorphinae, Pterostichinae (including Zabrinae). Here, they are considered independent families within the harpaline (sensu lato) assemblage, and this is also tentatively assumed for the enigmatic monotypic genus Ginema. Systematics At least 4 large and several smaller supertribes can be distinguished. The former "Pterostichitae" on the other hand seem to be, as presently delimited, a paraphyletic assemblage, but probably also contains a number of tribes closer to each other than to other Harpalinae. The clade around the type genus Pterostichus is thus recognized as subfamily Pterostichinae here. Genera The Harpalinae include the following genera: Acinopus Dejean, 1821 Acupalpus Latreille, 1829 Afromizonus Basilewsky, 1947 Agonidus Casey, 1914 Allendia Noonan, 1974 Allocinopus Broun, 1903 Allosiopelus Ito, 1995 Amblygnathus Dejean, 1829 Amblystomus Erichson, 1837 Amerinus Casey, 1884 Amphasia Newman, 1836 Angionychus Klug, 1853 Anisocnemus Chaudoir, 1843 Anisodactylus Dejean, 1829 Anisostichus Emden, 1953 Anomostomus Laferte-Senectere, 1853 Anthracus Motschulsky, 1850 Athrostictus Bates, 1878 Axinotoma Dejean, 1829 Aztecarpalus Ball, 1970 Barysomus Dejean, 1829 Batoscelis Dejean, 1836 Bleusea Bedel, 1897 Boeomimetes Peringuey, 1896 Bottchrus Jedlicka, 1935 Bradybaenus Dejean, 1829 Bradycellus Erichson, 1837 Bradycidus Casey, 1914 Bronislavia Semenov, 1891 Carenochyrus Solsky, 1874 Carterus Dejean, 1830 Cenogmus Sloane, 1898 Chilotomus Chaudoir, 1842 Chydaeus Chaudoir, 1854 Coleolissus Bates, 1892 Crasodactylus Guerin-Meneville, 1847 Cratacanthus Dejean, 1829 Cratognathus Dejean, 1829 Cratosoma Jeannel, 1948 Criniventer van Emdem, 1953 Cyptomicrus Vinson, 1939 Daptus Fischer von Waldheim, 1823 Diachromus Erichson, 1837 Dicheirotrichus Jacqelin du Val, 1857 (including Trichocellus) Dicheirus Mannerheim, 1843 Dioryche W.S. MacLeay, 1825 Discoderus LeConte, 1853 Ditomus Bonelli, 1810 Dixus Billberg, 1820 Dregus Motscheisky, 1864 Ectinothorax Alluaud, 1941 Egadyla Alluaud, 1916 Eocarterus Stichel, 1923 Eriophonus Tschitscherine, 1901 Eucarterus Reitter, 1900 Euryderus LeConte, 1846 Euthenarus Bates, 1874 Gaioxenus Broun 1910 Geodromus Dejean, 1829 Geopinus LeConte, 1848 Gnathaphanus W.S. MacLeay, 1825 Goniocellus Casey, 1914 Graniger Motschulsky, 1864 Gugheorites Basilewsky, 1951 Gynandromorphus Dejean, 1829 Hakaharpalus Larochelle & Lariviere, 2005 Haplaner Chaudoir, 1878 Haplanister