Pycnotomina is a monotypic genus closely related to Bactridium and Leptipsius within the tribe Europini and the subfamily Monotominae. The only species is Pycnotomina cavicolle.
Pycnotomina is very similar to Bactridium and Leptipsius, with which it shares a one-segmented antennal club, well-developed triangular femoral lines, and a somewhat flattened body shape. The more transverse pronotum with a large, distinctly impressed median zone, more widely separated pro- and meso-coxal cavities, lack of pronotal or scutellar microsculpture, and lack of antennal cavities will serve distinguish Pycnotomina from similar monotomid genera.
Little is known of the biology of this species other than that it is attracted to fermenting molasses baited traps (White 1983). It is generally collected in the spring and summer months in North America (TCM, unpublished data).
The genus is found exclusively in forested regions of eastern North America, especially the Appalachian Mountains and surrounding foothills. It extends as far south as Georgia (USA) (TCM, unpublished data) and as far north as southern Quebec and New Brunswick (Canada) (Webster et al. 2012).
Casey 1916 - erection of genus
Sen Gupta 1988 - review of morphology and comparison to other genera