''Megascelis'' is a genus of

leaf beetle The beetle family Chrysomelidae, commonly known as leaf beetles, includes over 37,000 (and probably at least 50,000) species in more than 2,500 genera, making it one of the largest and most commonly encountered of all beetle families. Numerous s ...

s in the subfamily

Eumolpinae The Eumolpinae are a subfamily of the leaf beetles, or Chrysomelidae. It is one of the largest subfamilies of leaf beetles, including more than 500 genera and 7000 species. They are oval, and convex in form, and measure up to 10 mm in size. ...

. It is known from both

North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography. Etymology T ...

and

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

. There are around 140 described species in ''Megascelis''. The genus is traditionally placed in the tribe Megascelidini, which was formerly considered a separate subfamily. However, according to

ITIS The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) is an American partnership of federal agencies designed to provide consistent and reliable information on the taxonomy of biological species. ITIS was originally formed in 1996 as an interagenc ...

, it is now placed in

Eumolpini Eumolpini is a tribe of leaf beetles in the subfamily Eumolpinae. It is the largest tribe in the subfamily, with approximately 170 genera found worldwide. Members of the tribe almost always have a longitudinal median groove on the pygidium, which ...

Nomenclature

The generic name "''Megascelis''" first appeared as a ''

nomen nudum In Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, a ''nomen nudum'' ('naked name'; plural ''nomina nuda'') is a designation which looks exactly like a scientific name of an organism, and may have originally been intended to be one, but it has not been published ...

'' in Dejean's Catalogue of Coleoptera in 1821. According to Barber & Bridwell (1940), the name ''Megascelis'' became available in

Sturm Sturm (German for storm) may refer to: People * Sturm (surname), surname (includes a list) * Saint Sturm (c. 705–779), 8th-century monk Food * Federweisser, known as ''Sturm'' in Austria, wine in the fermentation stage * Sturm Foods, an Americ ...

(1826), where the species ''Megascelis aenea'' is described. This species is considered the

type species In International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature, zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the spe ...

of the genus. However, according to Tiape Gómez & Savini (2001), the name ''Megascelis'' should instead be attributed to Latreille (1825), who was the first to give a description of the genus.

Species

These species belong to the genus ''Megascelis'': * '' Megascelis acuminata''

Pic PIC or pic may refer to: Places * Penbay International Circuit, or PIC, a motor track circuit in Pingtung County, Taiwan * Pic River, in Ontario, Canada * Picayune (Amtrak station) (Amtrak station code PIC), Mississippi, United States * Pic, a ...

, 1910 * ''

Megascelis acutipennis ''Megascelis'' is a genus of leaf beetles in the subfamily Eumolpinae. It is known from both North and South America. There are around 140 described species in ''Megascelis''. The genus is traditionally placed in the tribe Megascelidini, which ...

'' Lacordaire, 1845 * '' Megascelis aenea''

, 1826^g * '' Megascelis aerea'' Lacordaire, 1845 * '' Megascelis affinis'' Lacordaire, 1845 * '' Megascelis altamira'' Tiape Gómez & Savini, 2001 * '' Megascelis amabilis'' Lacordaire, 1845 ** ''Megascelis amabilis amabilis'' Lacordaire, 1845 ** ''Megascelis amabilis caripennis'' Bechyné, 1997 * ''

Megascelis ambigua ''Megascelis'' is a genus of leaf beetles in the subfamily Eumolpinae. It is known from both North and South America. There are around 140 described species in ''Megascelis''. The genus is traditionally placed in the tribe Megascelidini, which ...

Clark Clark is an English language surname with historical links to England, Scotland, and Ireland, ultimately derived from the Latin ''clericus'' meaning "scribe", "secretary" or a scholar within a religious order, referring to someone who was educated ...

, 1866 * ''

Megascelis anguina ''Megascelis'' is a genus of leaf beetles in the subfamily Eumolpinae. It is known from both North and South America. There are around 140 described species in ''Megascelis''. The genus is traditionally placed in the tribe Megascelidini, which ...

'' Lacordaire, 1845 * ''

Megascelis anisobia ''Megascelis'' is a genus of leaf beetles in the subfamily Eumolpinae. It is known from both North and South America. There are around 140 described species in ''Megascelis''. The genus is traditionally placed in the tribe Megascelidini, which ...

'' Tiape Gómez & Savini, 2001 * ''

Megascelis argutula ''Megascelis'' is a genus of leaf beetles in the subfamily Eumolpinae. It is known from both North and South America. There are around 140 described species in ''Megascelis''. The genus is traditionally placed in the tribe Megascelidini, which ...

'' Lacordaire, 1845 * ''

Megascelis asperula ''Megascelis'' is a genus of leaf beetles in the subfamily Eumolpinae. It is known from both North and South America. There are around 140 described species in ''Megascelis''. The genus is traditionally placed in the tribe Megascelidini, which ...

'' Lacordaire, 1845^g * ''

Megascelis aureola ''Megascelis'' is a genus of leaf beetles in the subfamily Eumolpinae. It is known from both North and South America. There are around 140 described species in ''Megascelis''. The genus is traditionally placed in the tribe Megascelidini, which ...

'' Lacordaire, 1845 * ''

Megascelis baeri ''Megascelis'' is a genus of leaf beetles in the subfamily Eumolpinae. It is known from both North America, North and South America. There are around 140 described species in ''Megascelis''. The genus is traditionally placed in the tribe Megasce ...

, 1910 * '' Megascelis basalis'' Baly, 1878 * '' Megascelis bitaeniata'' Lacordaire, 1845 * '' Megascelis boliviensis''

, 1911 * '' Megascelis briseis''

Bates Bates may refer to: Places * Bates, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Bates, Illinois. an unincorporated community in Sangamon County * Bates, Michigan, a community in Grand Traverse County * Bates, New York, a hamlet in the town of Elli ...

, 1866 * '' Megascelis brunnipennis''

, 1866 * '' Megascelis brunnipes'' Lacordaire, 1845 * '' Megascelis caeruleipennis''

, 1914 * '' Megascelis carbonera'' Tiape Gómez & Savini, 2001 * '' Megascelis championi'' Jacoby, 1888 * '' Megascelis chloris'' Lacordaire, 1845^g * '' Megascelis circumducta'' Lacordaire, 1845 * '' Megascelis cleroides''

, 1866 * '' Megascelis coccinea'' Papp, 1951 * '' Megascelis collaris'' Jacoby, 1888 * '' Megascelis columbina'' Lacordaire, 1845 * '' Megascelis corcula''

, 1866 * '' Megascelis crenipes'' Lacordaire, 1845 * '' Megascelis crucifera''

, 1866 * '' Megascelis curta'' Lacordaire, 1845 * '' Megascelis cyanoptera''

Kirsch ''Kirschwasser'' (, , ; German for 'cherry water'), or just ''Kirsch'' (; the term used in Switzerland and France, less so in Germany), is a clear, colourless brandy from Germany, Switzerland, and France, traditionally made from double distill ...

, 1875 * '' Megascelis decora''

, 1866 * '' Megascelis diducta''

Weise __NOTOC__ Weise is a surname, meaning "wise" or "prudent" in German. Notable people with the name include: A * Andreas Weise (born 1986), Swedish singer and songwriter *Agustín Saavedra Weise (1943–2021), Bolivian diplomat and writer *Arne W ...

, 1921 * '' Megascelis dilecta''

, 1866 * '' Megascelis discicollis''

, 1875 * '' Megascelis dispar''

, 1866 * '' Megascelis donckieri''

, 1910 * '' Megascelis doralis''

, 1866 * '' Megascelis dryas''

, 1866 * '' Megascelis dubiosa'' Jacoby, 1878 * '' Megascelis elegans'' Baly, 1861 * '' Megascelis elegantula'' Lacordaire, 1845 * ''

Megascelis exclamationis ''Megascelis'' is a genus of leaf beetles in the subfamily Eumolpinae. It is known from both North and South America. There are around 140 described species in ''Megascelis''. The genus is traditionally placed in the tribe Megascelidini, which ...

, 1866 * '' Megascelis exilis'' Lacordaire, 1845 * '' Megascelis fasciolata'' Lacordaire, 1845^g * '' Megascelis fatuella'' Lacordaire, 1845^g * '' Megascelis femoralis'' Jacoby, 1878 * '' Megascelis femorata'' Baly, 1878 * '' Megascelis filicornis''

, 1921 * '' Megascelis fissurata'' Tiape Gómez & Savini, 2001 * '' Megascelis flavipes'' Lacordaire, 1845^g * '' Megascelis frenata'' Lacordaire, 1845 ** ''Megascelis frenata bicolor'' Lacordaire, 1845 ** ''Megascelis frenata frenata'' Lacordaire, 1845 * '' Megascelis frontalis''

, 1866 * '' Megascelis fulgida'' Lacordaire, 1845 * '' Megascelis fulvipes'' Lacordaire, 1845 * '' Megascelis fusipes'' Tiape Gómez & Savini, 2001 * '' Megascelis gounellei''

, 1911 * '' Megascelis gracilis'' Lacordaire, 1845 * '' Megascelis grayi''

, 1866 * '' Megascelis herbacea'' Lacordaire, 1845 * '' Megascelis humeronotata''

, 1866 * '' Megascelis inscriptis'' Papp, 1952 * '' Megascelis insignis'' Lacordaire, 1845 * ''

Megascelis integra ''Megascelis'' is a genus of leaf beetles in the subfamily Eumolpinae. It is known from both North and South America. There are around 140 described species in ''Megascelis''. The genus is traditionally placed in the tribe Megascelidini, which ...

, 1875 * '' Megascelis jacobyi'' Clavareau, 1905 * '' Megascelis joliveti'' Papp, 1952 * '' Megascelis lacertina'' Lacordaire, 1845 * '' Megascelis laevicoma''

, 1866 * '' Megascelis larvata''

, 1866 * '' Megascelis lemoides'' Monrós, 1959 * '' Megascelis lucida'' Lacordaire, 1845 * '' Megascelis luculenta'' Lacordaire, 1845^g * '' Megascelis melancholica'' Jacoby, 1878 * '' Megascelis mexicana'' Jacoby, 1888 * '' Megascelis minuta'' Jacoby, 1888 * '' Megascelis miranda'' Tiape Gómez & Savini, 2001 * '' Megascelis misella'' Lacordaire, 1845 * '' Megascelis mucronata'' Lacordaire, 1845 * '' Megascelis nigripennis''

, 1866 * '' Megascelis nitidula'' (

Fabricius Fabricius (, ) is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *people from the Ancient Roman Fabricia gens, gens Fabricia: **Gaius Fabricius Luscinus, the first of the Fabricii to move to Rome * Johann Goldsmid (1587–1616), known by his ...

, 1801) * '' Megascelis obscurevittata''

, 1866 * '' Megascelis opalina'' Lacordaire, 1845 * '' Megascelis ornata'' Jacoby, 1878 * '' Megascelis parallela'' Harold, 1870 * '' Megascelis picturata'' Monrós, 1959 * '' Megascelis postica'' Lacordaire, 1845 * '' Megascelis posticata'' Baly, 1878 * '' Megascelis prasina''

Chevrolat Louis Alexandre Auguste Chevrolat (29 March 1799, Paris – 16 December 1884, Paris) was a French entomologist. He specialized mainly on the beetles and was a founder of the Societe entomologique de France in 1832. Chevrolat worked as a toll adm ...

, 1844 * '' Megascelis princeps''

, 1866 * '' Megascelis proteus'' Tiape Gómez & Savini, 2001 * '' Megascelis puella'' Lacordaire, 1845 * '' Megascelis purpurea'' Perty, 1832 * '' Megascelis purpureicollis'' Jacoby, 1877 * '' Megascelis purpureipennis''

, 1866^g * '' Megascelis purpureiotincta''

, 1866 * '' Megascelis quadrimaculata''

, 1866 * '' Megascelis quadrisignata'' Jacoby, 1888 * '' Megascelis robusta'' Jacoby, 1888 * '' Megascelis rubricollis''

, 1866 * '' Megascelis ruficollis''

, 1875 * '' Megascelis rufipes'' Lacordaire, 1845^g * '' Megascelis rufotestacea''

, 1866 * '' Megascelis sacerdotalis''

, 1866 * '' Megascelis sallaei'' Jacoby, 1888 * '' Megascelis sapphireipennis'' Lacordaire, 1845 * '' Megascelis satrapa'' Lacordaire, 1845 * '' Megascelis semipurpurea''

, 1866 * '' Megascelis semiviolacea''

, 1910 * '' Megascelis semiviridis''

, 1914^g * '' Megascelis smaragdula'' Lacordaire, 1845 * '' Megascelis socialis''

, 1866 * '' Megascelis spinipes'' Jacoby, 1888 * '' Megascelis stratiotica'' Lacordaire, 1845 * '' Megascelis submetallescens'' Jacoby, 1878 * '' Megascelis subtilis'' Boheman, 1859^{i c g} * '' Megascelis suturalis'' Lacordaire, 1845 * '' Megascelis taeniata''

, 1875 * '' Megascelis tenella'' Lacordaire, 1845^g * '' Megascelis texana'' Linell, 1898^{i c g b} * '' Megascelis tibialis'' Jacoby, 1888 * '' Megascelis titan''

, 1866 * '' Megascelis tricolor'' Lacordaire, 1845 * '' Megascelis unicolor'' Lacordaire, 1845^g * '' Megascelis virgo'' Lacordaire, 1845 * '' Megascelis viridana'' Lacordaire, 1845 * '' Megascelis viridipallens''

, 1866 * '' Megascelis viridis''

Illiger Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger (19 November 1775 – 10 May 1813) was a German entomologist and zoologist. He founded the entomological periodical ''Magazin für Insektenkunde.'' The plant genus '' Illigera'' is named in his honour. Biography Illi ...

, 1807 * '' Megascelis viridisimplex''

, 1866 * '' Megascelis vittata'' (

, 1801)^g * '' Megascelis vittatipennis'' Jacoby, 1888 * '' Megascelis yepezi'' Tiape Gómez & Savini, 2001 * '' Megascelis yungarum'' Monrós, 1959 Data sources: i = ITIS, c = Catalogue of Life, g = GBIF, b = Bugguide.net

Nomenclature

Species

References

Further reading