Although extensively studied by different authors over the past 150 years, the taxonomy of Canthon Hoffmannsegg, 1817 and allied genera (which are here informally referred to as ‘Canthon sensu lato’) still remains problematic. With the aim of resolving some of the questions surrounding these taxa, the present work reviews the taxonomy of one of them, the genus Sylvicanthon Halffter & Martínez, 1977. As defined here, Sylvicanthon is distributed mainly throughout the vast areas of tropical rainforests in the Neotropical region and includes 15 species divided into two groups: the enkerlini group, with a single species, S. enkerlini (Martínez et al., 1964) comb. nov., and the candezei group, with five subgroups: the candezei subgroup, with S. candezei (Harold, 1869), S. genieri sp. nov. and S. foveiventris (Schmidt, 1920); the aequinoctialis subgroup, with S. aequinoctialis (Harold, 1868) comb. nov. and S. proseni (Martínez, 1949) stat. et comb. nov.; the bridarollii subgroup, with S. bridarollii (Martínez, 1949), S. seag sp. nov., S. edmondsi sp. nov. and S. attenboroughi sp. nov.; the furvus subgroup, with S. furvus (Schmidt, 1920), S. monnei sp. nov., S. mayri sp. nov. and S. obscurus (Schmidt, 1920); and the securus subgroup, with a single species, S. securus (Schmidt, 1920) comb. nov. Three species originally included in Sylvicanthon are here (re)transferred to Canthon: Canthon xanthopus Blanchard, 1846 and C. machadoi (Martínez & Pereira, 1967) comb. nov., as well as C. cobosi (Pereira & Martínez, 1960) stat. et comb. nov., which had been previously in synonymy under C. xanthopus. Descriptions, redescriptions, illustrations and comparative tables on the external morphology (including the genital capsule) of the genus and its species are presented, as well as a detailed discussion on their biogeography, comparative morphology, hypotheses on their phylogenetic relationships, data on natural history and a detailed historical revision of the classification of ‘Canthon sensu lato’. Finally, we also discuss the so-called ‘species problem’ (i.e., the definition of the scientific term ‘species’) and its consequences to dung beetle taxonomy and favour the solution offered by the Biological Species Concept.

As defined here, Phanaeini comprises two subtribes, Gromphadina, with Gromphas and Oruscatus, and Phanaeina, with 10 genera including Bolbites. Gromphas occurs east of the Andes and includes five species: G. aeruginosa (Perty, 1830)

In this work, it is explained why previous authors who considered that Canthidium lentum Erichson, 1947 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) was fixed as the type species of Canthidium Erichson, 1847 in Robert Lucas' 1920 catalogue of Coleoptera genera were mistaken. Instead, the first authors to designate a type species for Canthidium were Martínez et al. in 1964, who designated C. thalassinum Erichson, 1847. Since both species are currently placed in different subgenera, the subgeneric classication must change: Eucanthidium Halffter Martínez, 1986 is a new junior synonym of Canthidium, while the subgenus previously considered to be Canthidium (Canthidium) is changed to Canthidium (Neocanthidium) Martínez et al., 1964 based on the revalidation of the latter name. A checklist containing information on the type locality, type material, synonymy, and distribution of all the 172 valid species included in the genus (72 in the nominotypical subgenus, 69 in Neocanthidium, and 31 as incertae sedis) is presented, as well as a review of the taxonomic history of Canthidium and the new synonymy between C. (C.) ardens Bates, 1887 and Canthidium ardens mutatum Bates, 1887.

A survey of the Cerambycinae species recorded in the Parque Nacional do Itatiaia, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, is presented. The data were based on literature, field work and in the collection of the Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Two hundred ninety three species of Cerambycinae are registered, and this represents about 28% of the species that occur in the Atlantic Rainforest. Nineteen new distribution records are registered. Ninety nine species are illustrated. A comparative table showing the respective number of genera and species of Cerambycinae that occur in the Neotropical Region, Atlantic Rainforest and Parque Nacional do Itatiaia is given.

Streblopus Van Lansberge, 1874 has been one of the most mysterious dung beetle groups of the Neotropical fauna, having a rather peculiar morphology, very few known specimens in collections and a difficult placement among the scarabaeine lineages. In this work, based on the examination of a recently collected series of specimens and a synthesis of some scattered, but deeply valuable, information available in the literature, we readdress many of the questions posed by past authors. It is shown that Streblopus is a relict genus composed of two currently living species of widely disjunct distribution, namely S. opatroides Van Lansberge, 1874, from patches of Atlantic Forest in the Brazilian states of Bahia and Espírito Santo, and S. punctatus (Balthasar, 1938), known from a few localities across Sub-Andean humid forests in the Peruvian and Ecuadorian Amazon Forest. We redescribe both and present in detail the evidence pointing to their validity as two independent species; a discussion of their remarkable sexual dimorphism is also given. The biogeography of Streblopus in South America is addressed, and we conclude that the present disjunct distribution of the genus is a consequence of the retreat of the tropical forest corridors that once connected the Atlantic Forest to the Amazon Basin through the South American Dry Diagonal during several periods of the Neogene, particularly until the Middle Miocene. Finally, we propose an African origin for the genus based on its close phylogenetic relationship with a group of Old World taxa ‒ particularly Circellium Latreille, 1825 and Scarabaeini. Having diverged from those groups in the late Upper Cretaceous, we argue that the ancestor of Streblopus arrived in South America crossing the Atlantic Ocean by rafting. We present a synthesis of data from a wide variety of biological groups to support our ideas and contend that long-distance dispersal hypotheses should be taken more seriously by scarab beetle specialists.

Currently 13 species-group names assigned to the subgenus Megaphanaeus of Coprophanaeus are deemed available (or 'potentially available'), four of which denote valid species. In the present work we review the nomenclatural history of those names and conclude that two of them, Scarabaeus satelles Lichtenstein, 1796 and Copris ajax Sturm, 1826, are unavailable. For the other 11 names, we found type specimens of five, Scarabaeus bellicosus Olivier, 1789, Copris ensifer Germar, 1821, Phanaeus septentrionalis Pêssoa, 1934, P. vicinus Martínez, 1944, and P. vicinus var. argentinus Martínez, 1944. Two lectotypes are designated, one for Copris ensifer and other for Phanaeus septentrionalis. We were unable to locate the type series of the four names described by Castelnau (1840), i.e. Phanaeus ducalis, P. sylvanus, P. heros and P. miles, and of P. bonariensis Gory, 1844 and Scarabaeus lancifer Linné, 1767. For the latter, based on some iconotypes, we found that its type series was composite, including specimens of two different Megaphanaeus species, and, in addition, it was mixed with Copris ensifer type series. In order to fix the name to a sole species, a neotype is designated for Scarabaeus lancifer. The history of the names are presented in detail, and the application of these names to species is briefly re-discussed.

RESUMO É apresentado um levantamento das espécies de Cerambycidae, Disteniidae e Vesperidae que ocorrem no estado do Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil. Os dados foram baseados na literatura e no acervo da coleção do Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. São registradas 229 espécies de Cerambycidae, distribuídas em cinco subfamílias. São registradas duas espécies de Disteniidae e duas de Vesperidae.

Coprophanaeus terrali, a species based on a single male from Sinop, Brazil, had its validity questioned recently when it was suggested that its tetratuberculate cephalic carina could be just an individual variation of C. dardanus (MacLeay, 1819). In this work, based on three additional males and two females collected near the type locality, we present new evidence supporting the validity of this species, discuss the variation of the male cephalic carina and describe the female morphology for the first time.