In this first part of the World catalogue of genus-group names in Elateridae, a nomenclatural review of the genera belonging to ten subfamilies is provided. All names are given with author name, year, and page of publication, type species, and type fixation. We list 132 valid genera in Agrypninae, 2 in Campyloxeninae, 4 in Hemiopinae, 11 in Lissominae, 2 in Oestodinae, 8 in Parablacinae, 2 in Physodactylinae, 2 in Pityobiinae, 1 in Subprotelaterinae, and 7 in Tetralobinae. Genera Anathesis Candèze, 1865, Antitypus Candèze, 1882, Chrostus Candèze, 1878, Dorygonus Candèze, 1859 (with subgenus Rygodonus Fleutiaux, 1932), and Macromalocera Hope, 1834 are tentatively placed as Agrypninaeincertae sedis. Paradrapetesvillosus Fleutiaux, 1895 is designated as the type species for Paradrapetes Fleutiaux, 1895. Two new genera are proposed based on species previously incorrectly used as type species for Abiphis Fleutiaux, 1926 and Lycoreus Candèze, 1857. These genera are Neoabiphis Kundrata & Bouchard, gen. n. (type species: Elaternobilis Illiger, 1800) and Neolycoreus Kundrata & Bouchard, gen. n. (type species: L.regalis Candèze, 1857), respectively. The following new combinations are proposed for species hitherto included in Abiphis Fleutiaux, 1926: Neoabiphiscandezei (Alluaud, 1896), comb. n., N.fairmairei (Fleutiaux, 1903), comb. n., N.goudoti (Fleutiaux, 1942), comb. n., N.insignis (Klug, 1833), comb. n., N.nobilis (Illiger, 1800), comb. n., and N.viettei (Girard, 1966), comb. n. The following new combinations are proposed for species hitherto included in Lycoreus Candèze, 1857: Neolycoreusalluaudi (Candèze, 1900), comb. n., N.corpulentus (Candèze, 1899), comb. n., N.cyclops (Candèze, 1865), comb. n., N.decorsei (Fleutiaux, 1903), comb. n., N.dux (Candèze, 1857), comb. n., N.goudotii (Laporte, 1838), comb. n., N.madagascariensis (Gory, 1832), comb. n., N.oculipennis (Fairmaire, 1903), comb. n., N.orbiculatus (Schwarz, 1901), comb. n., N.regalis (Candèze, 1857), comb. n., N.sicardi (Fleutiaux, 1942), comb. n., N.triangularis (Fleutiaux, 1942), comb. n., N.triocellatus (Laporte, 1838), comb. n., and N.vicinus (Fleutiaux, 1942), comb. n. The following new combinations are proposed for species hitherto incorrectly included in Plectrosternus Lacordaire, 1857: Legnarufa (Lacordaire, 1857), comb. n., L.convexa (Vats, 1991), comb. n., L.coolsi (Schimmel, 1996), comb. n., and L.foveata (Patwardhan & Athalye, 2012), comb. n. This research revealed a nomenclatural problem threatening the stability of the well-established valid genus name Adelocera Latreille, 1829. An application to the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature will be necessary in this case to maintain stability. Additionally, we act here as First Revisers (ICZN 1999, Art. 24.2) in giving precedence to Lucarius Gistel, 1848 (Staphylinidae) over Lucarius Gistel, 1848 (Elateridae).
Keywords: Elateroidea; Staphylinidae; Classification; click-beetles; new combinations; new genera; nomenclature; systematics.