Within the diverse genus Pterostichus approximately 110 described species are presently attributed to the subgenus Hypherpes. This complex of species includes many current and previously recognized generic-level names. Though many researchers have recognized this as a related complex of species no set of morphological characteristics have been found to be diagnostic for the group. Given the deficit of adult and larval synapomorphic features, DNA sequence data from 28s, COI and COII regions were used in an exemplar analysis to test for monophyly of the three typically recognized subgenera Hypherpes, Leptoferonia and Anilloferonia.