Rhopalopselion Hagedorn

Beaver, Roger A, 2010, Taxonomic notes on the afrotropical genera Hapalogenius Hagedorn, Hylesinopsis Eggers, and Rhopalopselion Hagedorn (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Scolytinae), ZooKeys 56, pp. 157-170 : 162-163

Rhopalopselion Hagedorn Fig. 3

When the species described in Hapalogenius are omitted, the remaining eleven species included in Rhopalopselion in Wood and Bright (1992) form a cluster of closely related species distinguished by the quadrate pronotum with strong asperities at the antero-lateral corners, and the large quadrate scutellum. The apical visible sternite has a triangular, median projection. The beetles are strongly built, black in colour, and 2.5-4.5 mm long. All those with known habits are xylophagous ( Schedl 1960, Browne 1963). Like Hapalogenius , the genus belongs in the tribe Hylesinini sensu Wood (1986a)

In addition to the type species, Rhopalopselion bituberculatum Hagedorn*, I consider the following species to belong in the genus: Rhopalopselion atrum Eggers, Rhopalopselion confusum Eggers, Rhopalopselion conjungens Schedl*, Rhopalopselion dentatum Nunberg*, Rhopalopselion grande Schedl, Rhopalopselion immune Eggers*, Rhopalopselion intermedium Schedl, Rhopalopselion nitidum Schedl, Rhopalopselion orientale Schedl*, Rhopalopselion thompsoni Schedl*. (* - type(s) examined). The remaining species listed under the genus by Wood and Bright (1992) belong in the genus Hapalogenius (see above) in which almost all were originally described. It may be noted here that the holotype of Rhopalopselion bituberculatum is in DEI and not MNB as stated by Wood and Bright (1992).