University of Michigan Museum of Zoology,  1/7/2014The genus Dichopetala Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1878 sensu Rehn and Hebard, 1914 is revised, with the description of 6 new genera and 14 new species:

• Obolopteryx (NEW GENUS)
• Planipollex (NEW GENUS)
• Rhabdocerca (NEW GENUS)
• Gymnocerca (NEW GENUS)
• Mactruchus (NEW GENUS)
• Acanthorintes (NEW GENUS)
• Rhabdocerca zanclophora (NEW GENUS)
• Gymnocerca cycloprista (NEW SPECIES)
• Gymnocerca enaulites (NEW SPECIES)
• Mactruchus ischnodus (NEW SPECIES)
• Mactruchus cryothermastris (NEW SPECIES)
• Mactruchus megasynactor (NEW SPECIES)
• Acanthorintes xanthephaptor (NEW SPECIES)
• Acanthorintes erythrephaptor (NEW SPECIES)
• Acanthorintes thenarocercus (NEW SPECIES)
• Acanthorintes zeuglaius (NEW SPECIES)
• Pterodichopetala strepsidactyla (NEW SPECIES)
• Pterodichopetala hypsibates (NEW SPECIES)
• Pterodichopetala padrisima (NEW SPECIES)
• Pterodichopetala pityophila (NEW SPECIES)

The following two species are synonymized:

• Dichopetala acambarensis Marquez Mayaudon, 1958 is designated a junior synonym ofDichopetala serrifera Rehn and Hebard, 1914 (NEW SYNONYMY)
• Dichopetala chirura Strohecker, 1945 is designated a junior synonym of Dichopetala pollicifera Rehn and Hebard, 1914 (NEW SYNONYMY)

Sixteen North and Central American species are transferred from Dichopetala into newly-erected genera:

• Obolopteryx emarginata Rehn and Hebard, 1914 (NEW COMBINATION)
• Obolopteryx seeversi (Strohecker, 1941) (NEW COMBINATION)
• Obolopteryx gladiator (Rehn and Hebard, 1914) (NEW COMBINATION)
• Obolopteryx brevihastata (Morse, 1902) (NEW COMBINATION)
• Obolopteryx castanea (Rehn and Hebard, 1914) (NEW COMBINATION)
• Obolopteryx poecila (Hebard, 1932) (NEW COMBINATION)
• Obolopteryx catinata (Rehn and Hebard, 1914) (NEW COMBINATION)
• Obolopteryx oreoeca (Rehn and Hebard, 1914) (NEW COMBINATION)
• Planipollex pollicifer (Rehn and Hebard, 1914) (NEW COMBINATION)
• Rhabdocerca tridactyla (Rehn and Hebard, 1914) (NEW COMBINATION)
• Rhabdocerca caudelli (Rehn and Hebard, 1914) (NEW COMBINATION)
• Gymnocerca falcata (Rehn and Hebard, 1914) (NEW COMBINATION)
• Mactruchus durangensis (Rehn and Hebard, 1914) (NEW COMBINATION)
• Mactruchus serrifer (Rehn and Hebard, 1914) (NEW COMBINATION)
• Acanthorintes tauriformis (Rehn and Hebard, 1914) (NEW COMBINATION)
• and Pterodichopetala cultricerca (Strohecker, 1945) (NEW COMBINATION)
• The final South American taxon described in the genus, Dichopetala transfuga (Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1878), is transferred to another genus, resulting in the combinationCohnia transfuga (Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1878) (NEW COMBINATION)

These taxonomic acts are accompanied by various discussions concerning the new taxa herein erected, including but not limited to biogeography, phylogeny and polarity, natural history, and the problems associated with maintaining a large heterogeneous genus.