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.