Taxonomy and distribution of the species of the genus Myrmechixenus Chevrolat, 1835 (Tenebrionidae: Diaperinae)1

The genus MyrmechixenusChevrolat, 1835 (Tenebrionidae: Diaperinae: Myrmechixenini, type species M. subterraneusChevrolat, 1835) contains only three species described in the middle of the 19th century from Europe. Two species are now distributed nearly worldwide, and unknown so far only from the Pacific Islands, New Zealand, Central and South America. The third species has a restricted distribution in Europe, probably because of its association to ants. M. calvusReitter, 1877, described from Sulawesi, is considered as a junior synonym of M. picinus (Aube, 1850), M. lathridioidesCrotch, 1873 from northern America is considered as a junior synonym of M. vaporiarorumGuerin-Meneville, 1843. A species key is added. Myrmecoxenus Agassiz, 1846 is an unjustified emendation of Myrmechixenus.