Megapenthes Eschscholtz, 1829

Etzler, Frank E. & Seibert, Catherine E., 2022, Checklist of the Elateridae (Coleoptera) of Montana, USA, with Taxonomic Notes, The Coleopterists Bulletin 76 (3), pp. 449-477 : 472

Megapenthes Eschscholtz, 1829 .

This genus is not monophyletic. It has been described as a “waste-basket” genus ( Becker 1971), and broadly applies to all North American Megapenthini , so identification of certain species can be difficult using current generic keys. Some species were previously placed in the genus Elater Linnaeus, 1758 [e. g., Megapenthes nigriventris LeConte in Lane (1971)] and the genus needs a revision for the North American fauna.