The Coleoptera of Panama. I. A first benchmark for the superfamily Dryopoidea

The dryopoid beetles (Insecta: Coleoptera), which include aquatic, semiaquatic, and terrestrial species, are among a number of invertebrate taxa which have received scant recent attention in Panama. This paper brings together information from the published literature and current research to produce a first benchmark of knowledge about this coleopteran superfamily in Panama. To date, we have recorded 127 species in 54 genera distributed among 10 coleopteran families, including 50 species originally described from Panama. Of the total species and genera presented in this paper, 20 species and 6 genera are new country records for Panama. Our goals for this superfamily include expanded surficial and elevational collecting, training and development of young Panamanians in dryopoid systematics and ecology, and support for the scientific community via information dissemination. Further identifications and new descriptions are proceeding toward subsequent publications.