The Clivinini (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Scaritinae) is a group with a worldwide distribution. In the Neotropics it’s represented by the genera Ancus (3 sps), Ardistomis (45), Aspidoglossa (26), Camptidius (1), Camptodontus (14), Climax (3), Clivina (389), Cryptomma (1), Forcipator (4), Halocoryza (2), Kultianella (2), Lachenus (1), Mesus (5), Nyctosyles (3), Obadius (2), Oxydrepanus (12), Pyramoides (2), Schizogenius (74), Semiardistomis (20), Stratiotes (3), Withehediana (4).

The Ardistomines (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Scaritinae: Clivinini) are a complex formed by the genera Ardistomis Putzeys, Semiardistomis Kult, and Aspidoglossa Putzeys. At present, 54 species are included in Ardistomis, 12 species in Semiardistomis, and 26 in Aspidoglossa. This complex is confined to the Western Hemisphere, from southeastern USA to Argentina and the West Indies. The position of the group inside the Scaritinae is poorly understood and almost nothing has been done on taxonomy, phylogeny, biogeography or bionomics of its members.

The type materials of about 80 % of the species described are deposited in European Collections, 32 % in the Putzey’s Collection in Belgium only. A detailed morphologic study of the specimens in Belgian collections is determinant to continue the study of the group in American Collections. Material from other, mainly European collections will be examined as well (Paris Museum of Natural History, Hope Entomological  Collection – Oxford, British Museum Collection, Canadian Museum of Nature, Petr Bulirsch Collection – Czech Republic, Alexander Dostal Collection – Austria, etc.).

In order to reconstruct the group’s phylogeny and to understand their relationships within the tribe Clivinini, some closely related genera will be included; the morphologically related genus Oxydrepanus Putzeys and 5 other small genera with an uncertain position near Ardistomines and inside Clivinini: Ancus Putzeys, Climax Putzeys, Pyramis Putzeys, Lachenus Putzeys and Cryptomma Putzeys.