Genus Cidnopus Thomson, 1859

Cidnopus Thomson, 1859: 106 . Type species: Elater nigripes Gyllenhal, 1808: 395 (Europe) [= Elater pilosus Leske, 1785: 11 (Europe), by Geminger and Harold, 1869: 1563.]

Description. Small to medium sized, sub-cylindrical. Body length 5.5 mm to 13 mm in all known species. Head with simple or umbilicate punctures; frons weakly depressed or rather flattened; frontal margin entirely carinate or a little obsolescent at middle; frontal groove transversely excavated. Antennae generally exceeding the pronotal hind angles by the 10th or 11th antennomeres in males, reaching to the base of hind angles in females; 2nd and 3rd segments subsequently long or 3rd a little longer than 2nd, the combined length of 2nd and 3rd segments clearly longer than 4th; serrated from 3rd or 4th to 10th antennomeres. Pronotum sub-quadrate, generally a little longer than wide in male, but a little longer than wide to more or less wider than long in female; anterior corner simple, lacking anterior angles expansion; hind angles short, rather broad at base, with short single carina; posterior margin lacking basal incisures and basal notch; pronotosternal sutures double, distinctly furrowed anteriorly; posterior margin of hypomeron not emarginate at posterior angles in ventral view; prosternal process generally expanded laterally; procoxal cavities narrowly opened. Scutellum simple or smoothly convex, not elevated longitudinally. Legs slender, moderately long; tarsomeres simple; claws simple.

Distributions. Holarctic region (11 species in the Nearctic and 15 species in the Palearctic regions)