The pelidnotine scarabs (Scarabaeidae: Rutelinae: Rutelini) are a speciose, paraphyletic assemblage of beetles that includes spectacular metallic species (“jewel scarabs”) as well as species that are ecologically important as herbivores, pollinators, and bioindicators. These beetles suffer from a complicated nomenclatural history, due primarily to 20th century taxonomic and nomenclatural errors. We review the taxonomic history of the pelidnotine scarabs, present a provisional key to genera with overviews of all genera, and synthesize a catalog of all taxa with synonyms, distributional data, type specimen information, and 107 images of exemplar species. As a result of our research, the pelidnotine leaf chafers (a paraphyletic group) include 27 (26 extant and 1 extinct) genera and 420 valid species and subspecies (419 extant and 1 extinct). Our research makes biodiversity research on this group tractable and accessible, thus setting the stage for future studies that address evolutionary and ecological trends. Based on our research, 1 new species is described, 1 new generic synonym and 12 new species synonyms are proposed, 11 new lectotypes and 1 new neotype are designated, many new or revised nomenclatural combinations, and many unavailable names are presented. The following taxonomic changes are made:New generic synonym: The genus Heteropelidnota Ohaus, 1912 is a new junior synonym of Pelidnota MacLeay, 1819.New species synonyms: Plusiotis
adelaida
pavonacea Casey, 1915 is a syn. n. of Chrysina
adelaida (Hope, 1841); Odontognathus
gounellei Ohaus, 1908 is a revised synonym of Pelidnota
ebenina (Blanchard, 1842); Pelidnota
francoisgenieri Moore & Jameson, 2013 is a syn. n. of Pelidnota
punctata (Linnaeus, 1758); Pelidnota
genieri Soula, 2009 is a syn. n. of Pelidnota
punctata (Linnaeus, 1758); Pelidnota
lutea (Olivier, 1758) is a revised synonym of Pelidnota
punctata (Linnaeus, 1758); Pelidnota (Pelidnota) texensis Casey, 1915 is a revised synonym of Pelidnota
punctata (Linnaeus, 1758); Pelidnota (Strigidia) zikani (Ohaus, 1922) is a revised synonym of Pelidnota
tibialis
tibialis Burmeister, 1844; Pelidnota
ludovici Ohaus, 1905 is a syn. n. of Pelidnota
burmeisteri
tricolor Nonfried, 1894; Rutela
fulvipennis Germar, 1824 is syn. n. of Pelidnota
cuprea (Germar, 1824); Pelidnota
pulchella
blanda Burmeister, 1844 is a syn. n. of Pelidnota
pulchella
pulchella (Kirby, 1819); Pelidnota
pulchella
scapularis Burmeister, 1844 is a syn. n. of Pelidnota
pulchella
pulchella (Kirby, 1819); Pelidnota
xanthogramma Perty, 1830 is a syn. n. of Pelidnota
pulchella
pulchella (Kirby, 1819).New or revised statuses: Pelidnota
fabricelavalettei Soula, 2009, revised status, is considered a species; Pelidnota
rioensis Soula, 2009, stat. n., is considered a species; Pelidnota
semiaurata
semiaurata Burmeister, 1844, stat. rev., is considered a subspecies.New or comb. rev. and revised status: Plusiotis
guaymi Curoe, 2001 is formally transferred to the genus Chrysina (C.
guaymi (Curoe, 2001), comb. n.); Plusiotis
transvolcanica Morón & Nogueir...
