Megascelis
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| Megascelis | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Megascelis caeruleipennis | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Coleoptera |
| Suborder: | Polyphaga |
| Infraorder: | Cucujiformia |
| Family: | Chrysomelidae |
| Subfamily: | Eumolpinae |
| Tribe: | Megascelidini |
| Genus: | Megascelis Latreille, 1825 |
| Type species | |
| Megascelis aenea Sturm, 1826 | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Megascelis Dejean, 1821 | |
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.[1][2][3][4]
The genus is traditionally placed in the tribe Megascelidini, which was formerly considered a separate subfamily. However, according to ITIS, it is now placed in Eumolpini.[1]
The generic name "Megascelis" first appeared as a nomen nudum in Dejean's Catalogue of Coleoptera in 1821. According to Barber & Bridwell (1940), the name Megascelis became available in Sturm (1826), where the species Megascelis aenea is described. This species is considered the type species of the genus.[5] 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.[6]