Pterostichus is a very large genus of ground beetles with a Holarctic distribution in the subfamily Harpalinae. It has over 1,200 species. The beetles are predatory, but sometimes feed on strawberries. They can be found under rocks and prefer slightly moist, sandy soil although preferences differ between species.
Species These species and subgenera are included in the genus Pterostichus.
Subgenus Abea Morita, 1992 Pterostichus yamauchii Morita, 1992 Subgenus Adelopterus Reitter, 1886 Pterostichus ambiguus (Fairmaire, 1858) Subgenus Adelosia Stephens, 1835 Pterostichus macer (Marsham, 1802) Subgenus Agastillus Reitter, 1892 Pterostichus capitatus (Chaudoir, 1850) Pterostichus cratocephalus (Tschitscherine, 1897) Pterostichus cucujinus Reitter, 1892 Pterostichus eriwanicus (Tschitscherine, 1897) Subgenus Anilloferonia Van Dyke, 1926 Pterostichus diana LaBonte, 2013 Pterostichus malkini (Hatch, 1953) Pterostichus testaceus (Van Dyke, 1926) Subgenus Anomostichus Sciaky, 1995 Pterostichus anomostriatus Sciaky, 1995 Subgenus Aphaonus Reitter, 1887 Pterostichus arcanoides (Lorenz, 1998) Pterostichus compressus (Rost, 1892) Pterostichus cylindriformis (Reitter, 1887) Pterostichus koenigianus (Tschitscherine, 1891) Pterostichus mariamae Zamotajlov; Solodovnikov & Fominykh, 2015 Pterostichus miroshnikovi (Zamotajlov, 1991) Pterostichus neilgaimani Chaladze & Kalatozishvili, 2017 Pterostichus pseudopercus (Reitter, 1889) Pterostichus starckianus (Reitter, 1887) Pterostichus svetlanae Zamotajlov; Solodovnikov & Fominykh, 2015 Pterostichus trubilini Zamotajlov, 1997 Subgenus Argutor Dejean, 1821 Pterostichus aanistschenkoi O. & E.Berlov, 1999 Pterostichus akozyrevi O. & E.Berlov, 1999 Pterostichus bhadravati Jedlicka, 1965 Pterostichus chameleon (Motschulsky, 1866) Pterostichus commutabilis (Motschulsky, 1866) Pterostichus cryobioides (Chaudoir, 1868) Pterostichus cursor (Dejean, 1828) Pterostichus dulcis (Bates, 1883) Pterostichus kerzhneri Lafer, 1983 Pterostichus leonisi Apfelbeck, 1904 Pterostichus praetermissus (Chaudoir, 1868) Pterostichus sulcitarsis A.Morawitz, 1862 Pterostichus vernalis (Panzer, 1796) Subgenus Asioplatysma Kryzhanovskij, 1968 Pterostichus capito (Tschitscherine, 1900) Pterostichus darvazicus Kryzhanovskij, 1968 Pterostichus karateghinicus Mikhailov, 1972 Pterostichus klapperichi Jedlicka, 1956 Pterostichus medvedevi Kryzhanovskij & Mikhailov, 1972 Pterostichus mujahedeeni Savich, 1999 Pterostichus rufopiceus Heyden, 1890 Pterostichus talibani Savich, 1999 Subgenus Badistrinus Motschulsky, 1866 Pterostichus arrowi Jedlicka, 1936 Pterostichus arrowianus Jedlicka, 1938 Pterostichus bandotaro Tanaka, 1958 Pterostichus doris Jedlicka, 1962 Pterostichus haptoderoides Tschitscherine, 1889 Pterostichus kajimurai Habu & Tanaka, 1957 Pterostichus laticollis (Motschulsky, 1844) Pterostichus procephalus Bates, 1873 Subgenus Bothriopterus Chaudoir, 1835 Pterostichus ademidovae O.Berlov, 1996 Pterostichus adstrictus Eschscholtz, 1823 Pterostichus aeneocupreus (Fairmaire, 1887) Pterostichus bhunetansis Davies, 2004 Pterostichus commixtiformis Roubal, 1920 Pterostichus ferghanicus Kabak, 2001 Pterostichus lustrans LeConte, 1851 Pterostichus mariae (Lutshnik, 1921) Pterostichus mutus (Say, 1823) Pterostichus oblongopunctatus (Fabricius, 1787) Pterostichus oregonus LeConte, 1861 Pterostichus pensylvanicus LeConte, 1873 Pterostichus quadrifoveolatus Letzner, 1852 Pterostichus subovatus (Motschulsky, 1861) Pterostichus trinarius (Casey, 1918) Pterostichus tropicalis (Bates, 1882) Pterostichus zyzzovi O. & E.Berlov, 1996 Subgenus Calopterus Chaudoir, 1838 Pterostichus pilosus (Host, 1790) Pterostichus selmanni (Duftschmid, 1812) Subgenus Carllindrothius Habu, 1984 Pterostichus colonus (Bates, 1883) Subgenus Cheporus Latreille, 1829 Pterostichus burmeisteri Heer, 1837 Pterostichus dissimilis (A. & G.B.Villa, 1833) Pterostichus muehlfeldii (Duftschmid, 1812) Pterostichus transversalis (Duftschmid, 1812) Subgenus Chinapterus O.Berlov, 1998 Pterostichus lianhuaensis Dorjerem; Shi & Liang, 2020 Pterostichus liupanensis Dorjerem; Shi & Liang, 2020 Pterostichus przewalskyi Tschitscherine, 1888 Pterostichus singularis Tschitscherine, 1889 Subgenus Circinatus Sciaky, 1996 Pterostichus adelphus Shi & Liang, 2015 Pterostichus agilis Allegro & Sciaky, 2010 Pterostichus ailaoicus Shi & Liang, 2015 Pterostichus baenningeri Jedlicka, 1931 Pterostichus batxatensis Fedorenko, 2019 Pterostichus beneshi Sciaky, 1996 Pterostichus bullatus Allegro & Sciaky, 2010 Pterostichus camelus Shi & Liang, 2015 Pterostichus caobang Fedorenko, 2019 Pterostichus cavazzutianus Shi & Liang, 2015 Pterostichus dentifer Allegro & Sciaky, 2010 Pterostichus dimorphus Shi & Liang, 2015 Pterostichus expolitus Fedorenko, 2019 Pterostichus hoanglien Fedorenko, 2019 Pterostichus laocaiensis Fedorenko, 2019 Pterostichus liciniformis Csiki, 1930 Pterostichus maitreya Shi & Liang, 2015 Pterostichus miao Shi & Liang, 2015 Pterostichus phangxipang Fedorenko, 2019 Pterostichus phiaoc Fedorenko, 2019 Pterostichus pohnerti Jedlicka, 1934 Pterostichus subtilissimus Sciaky, 1996 Pterostichus tumulus Shi & Liang, 2015 Pterostichus wangjiani Shi & Liang, 2015 Pterostichus xilingensis Allegro & Sciaky, 2010 Pterostichus yan Shi & Liang, 2015 Pterostichus yuxiaodongi Shi & Liang, 2015 Pterostichus zhygealu Shi & Liang, 2015 Pterostichus zoiai Sciaky, 1996 Subgenus Cophosus Dejean, 1821 Pterostichus cylindricus (Herbst, 1784) Subgenus Cryobius Chaudoir, 1838 Pterostichus abaxoides (Dejean, 1828) Pterostichus acrogonus (Chaudoir, 1843) Pterostichus akkusianus Kirschenhofer, 1981 Pterostichus altaiensis (Poppius, 1906) Pterostichus amaroides (Dejean, 1828) Pterostichus amblypterus (Chaudoir, 1868) Pterostichus amoenus (Dejean, 1828) Pterostichus amurensis (Poppius, 1906) Pterostichus anatolicus Jedlicka, 1963 Pterostichus apenninus (Dejean, 1831) Pterostichus aralarensis (Mateu, 1945) Pterostichus archangaicus Shilenkov, 2000 Pterostichus arcticola (Chaudoir, 1868) Pterostichus argutoriformis (Poppius, 1906) Pterostichus auriga Ball, 1962 Pterostichus bargusinicus Shilenkov, 2000 Pterostichus barlensis Straneo, 1935 Pterostichus barryorum Ball, 1962 Pterostichus biocryus Ball, 1962 Pterostichus blandulus L.Miller, 1859 Pterostichus blumenthali Heinz, 1965 Pterostichus brevicornis (Kirby, 1837) Pterostichus breviusculus (R.F.Sahlberg, 1844) Pterostichus bryanti (Van Dyke, 1951) Pterostichus bryantoides Ball, 1962 Pterostichus burjaticus (Poppius, 1906) Pterostichus cacumensis Ball, 1966 Pterostichus cantabricus (L.Schaufuss, 1862) Pterostichus caribou Ball, 1962 Pterostichus carradei (Gautier des Cottes, 1866) Pterostichus champenoisi (Croissandeau, 1893) Pterostichus chipewyan Ball, 1962 Pterostichus colasi (Jeannel, 1937) Pterostichus convexus (Gebler, 1847) Pterostichus coreicus Jedlicka, 1962 Pterostichus davshensis Shilenkov, 2000 Pterostichus dubiosus (Tschitscherine, 1894) Pterostichus ehlersi (Heyden, 1881) Pterostichus empetricola (Dejean, 1828) Pterostichus espanoli (J. & E.Vives, 1977) Pterostichus euxinus Straneo, 1935 Pterostichus exceptus (J.Sahlberg, 1885) Pterostichus firmus (Lutshnik, 1933) Pterostichus fulvescens (Motschulsky, 1844) Pterostichus gerstlensis Ball, 1962 Pterostichus glacialis (Brisout de Barneville, 1863) Pterostichus glukhomanka Sundukov, 2013 Pterostichus haftorni Lindroth, 1969 Pterostichus herzi (Poppius, 1906) Pterostichus homalonotus (Tschitscherine, 1894) Pterostichus horvatovichi Kirschenhofer, 1991 Pterostichus hudsonicus LeConte, 1863 Pterostichus infimus (Chaudoir, 1868) Pterostichus inopinatus (Lutshnik, 1933) Pterostichus iripennis (Chaudoir, 1868) Pterostichus ishiharai Ishida & Shibata, 1961 Pterostichus jacobsoni (Poppius, 1906) Pterostichus jaechi Kirschenhofer, 1997 Pterostichus josephi Csiki, 1930 Pterostichus kadjaranze (Jedlicka, 1947) Pterostichus kaninensis (Poppius, 1906) Pterostichus kavanaughi Shilenkov, 2000 Pterostichus kaynashensis Schweiger, 1967 Pterostichus kolymensis Erjiomin, 1998 Pterostichus korgei Jedlicka, 1964 Pterostichus kotzebuei Ball, 1962 Pterostichus kultianus Jedlicka, 1946 Pterostichus kuraicus Shilenkov, 2000 Pterostichus kurosai Tanaka, 1958 Pterostichus kurosawai Tanaka, 1958 Pterostichus lamuticus (Poppius, 1906) Pterostichus latiusculus (Chaudoir, 1868) Pterostichus longipes (Poppius, 1906) Pterostichus lucidus (Motschulsky, 1844) Pterostichus macedonicus Apfelbeck, 1918 Pterostichus macrothorax (Poppius, 1906) Pterostichus maeklini (Poppius, 1906) Pterostichus mandibularoides Ball, 1966 Pterostichus marani Jedlicka, 1967 Pterostichus middendorffi (J.Sahlberg, 1875) Pterostichus negligens (Sturm, 1824) Pterostichus nemoralis (Graells, 1851) Pterostichus nigripalpis (Poppius, 1906) Pterostichus nivalis (R.F.Sahlberg, 1844) Pterostichus nordqvisti (J.Sahlberg, 1885) Pterostichus oblongiusculus (Motschulsky, 1850) Pterostichus ochoticus (R.F.Sahlberg, 1844) Pterostichus palekhai E. & O.Berlov, 1996 Pterostichus parasimilis Ball, 1962 Pterostichus parviceps (Poppius, 1906) Pterostichus pinguedineus (Eschscholtz, 1823) Pterostichus pithyusicus (Lutshnik, 1933) Pterostichus planus (J.Sahlberg, 1885) Pterostichus poppiusianus (Jakobson, 1907) Pterostichus procerulus (Heyden, 1880) Pterostichus properans (Chaudoir, 1868) Pterostichus pseudostuxbergi (Poppius, 1906) Pterostichus pumilio (Dejean, 1828) Pterostichus punctiger (J.Sahlberg, 1880) Pterostichus pusillus (Dejean, 1828) Pterostichus quadraticollis (Chaudoir, 1846) Pterostichus riparius (Dejean, 1828) Pterostichus rodiovoni Shilenkov, 2000 Pterostichus rufonitens (Fairmaire, 1866) Pterostichus safonovae Budarin, 1995 Pterostichus sahlbergi (Tschitscherine, 1894) Pterostichus scitus (Mäklin, 1878) Pterostichus shilenkovi Erjiomin & Kabak, 1991 Pterostichus similis Mannerheim, 1852 Pterostichus sojot Shilenkov, 2000 Pterostichus soperi Ball, 1966 Pterostichus splendidus Park, 2013 Pterostichus spornyi Sundukov, 2013 Pterostichus stantonensis Ball, 1966 Pterostichus subgibbus (Motschulsky, 1860) Pterostichus subiasi (Ortuño & Zaballos, 1992) Pterostichus subsinuatus (Dejean, 1828) Pterostichus surgens LeConte, 1878 Pterostichus tareumiut Ball, 1962 Pterostichus taskylensis Shilenkov, 2000 Pterostichus tatricus Kult, 1947 Pterostichus theeli (Mäklin, 1878) Pterostichus tichomirovi Erjiomin, 1990 Pterostichus tiliaceoradix Ball, 1962 Pterostichus tokmakovae Sundukov, 2013 Pterostichus tunkinensis Shilenkov, 2000 Pterostichus udokanensis Shilenkov, 2000 Pterostichus ulubeyensis Kirschenhofer, 1981 Pterostichus unctulatus (Duftschmid, 1812) Pterostichus ventricosus (Eschscholtz, 1823) Pterostichus woodi Ball & Currie, 1997 Subgenus Cylindrocharis Casey, 1918 Pterostichus acutipes Barr, 1971 Pterostichus hypogeus Barr, 1971 Pterostichus rostratus (Newman, 1838) Subgenus Eosteropus Tschitscherine, 1902 Pterostichus abensis Morita, 2010 Pterostichus abudarini O. & E.Berlov, 1997 Pterostichus aenescens (Chaudoir, 1850) Pterostichus aereipennis (Solsky, 1872) Pterostichus aethiops (Panzer, 1796) Pterostichus ainus Plutenko, 2005 Pterostichus alacer A.Morawitz, 1862 Pterostichus bituberculatus (Tschitscherine, 1899) Pterostichus circulosus Lindroth, 1966 Pterostichus coruscus (Tschitscherine, 1895) Pterostichus creper (Tschitscherine, 1902) Pterostichus discrepans A.Morawitz, 1862 Pterostichus dudkoi Sundukov, 2013 Pterostichus faldermanni Schatzmayr, 1929 Pterostichus funakoshii Morita, 2007 Pterostichus hidanus Morita, 2010 Pterostichus hiramatsui Morita, 2010 Pterostichus hirasawai Morita, 2010 Pterostichus imurai Morita, 2007 Pterostichus japonicus (Motschulsky, 1861) Pterostichus karasawai Tanaka, 1958 Pterostichus kimioi Morita, 2011