Stichel (1957) divided the genus Berytinus in two subgenera, Berytinus s.str. and Berytinellus. Péricart (1976b: 356; 1984a: 39, 58) discussed the case and concluded, on the basis of several characters, to the validity of these subgenera, and to their practical usefulness for identifications; in his monograph (1984a) he only replaced the subgeneric name Berytinellus by its senior synonym Lizinus Mulsant & Rey, 1870. Henry (1997a) arguing that each of these characters can vary to some extent, and that they consequently were of no phylogenetic value, ruled out this division in subgenera. In fact, the experience acquired by the author of the present chapter after having seen a considerable number of specimens in European collections, and the significant help brought by such a division, when these characters are used as a complex, especially for identification of many poorly preserved individuals, leads the author to maintain this division, which has been accepted for more than 30 years by European authors. Opinion 1504 (1988) gave priority to Berytinus over Melorus (see below) and over Lizinus for the cases of future taxonomic changes (see also Dolling, 1985: 293 and Péricart, 1986b: 119).