Notocupes is an extinct genus of medium-sized archostematan beetles from the Mesozoic Era of Eurasia, including over 50 described species. Historically, the genus was classified as a member of the family Ommatidae, but the presence of characters such as the horizontal mandibular cutting edge, separated procoxae and overlapping abdominal sternites indicate that the genus may have a closer affinity with the family Cupedidae. Notocupes is considered to be a junior synonym of Zygadenia by Kirejtshuk (2020), but other researchers suggest to reserve the genus Zygadenia as a form taxon for isolated elytra that probably belong to the genus Notocupes, while retaining Notocupes as a valid genus for complete body fossils. Most species of Notocupes were described from compression fossils. An additional three species were described from Cenomanian-aged Burmese amber, which were treated as a separate genus, Echinocups, by Kirejtshuk (2020), but Li et al. (2023) consider Echinocups to be a junior synonym of Notocupes. Notocupes has a flattened body, which may suggest that it occupied narrow habitats, such as living under bark. Some species had serrated/spined margins of the carapace, which may have served as a defense against predators, or served as camouflage to resemble bark.
Strelnikova & Yan (2023) advise splitting up the genus Notocupes into four genera: Notocupes, Rhabdocupes, Conexicoxa and the new genus Brachilatus.
Triassic species Ladinian (242 Ma to ~237 Ma) Tongchuan Formation, China N. shiluoensis
Carnian (237 Ma to 227 Ma) Koldzat Formation, Kazakhstan N. oxypygus Madygen Formation, Kyrgyzstan N. laticella N. rostratus N. tenuis
Jurassic species Hettangian (201.3 Ma to 199.3 Ma) Dzhil Formation, Kyrgyzstan N. cellulosus N. issykkulensis N. kirghizicus N. latus N. sogutensis Guanyintan Formation, China N. homorus
Toarcian (182.7 Ma to 174.1 Ma) Guanyintan Formation, China N. lini Sulyukta Formation, Kyrgyzstan N. crassus
Bajocian (170.3 Ma to 168.3 Ma) Bakhar Formation, Mongolia N. brachycephalus N. exiguus N. longicollis
Callovian (166.1 Ma to 163.5 Ma) Haifanggou Formation, China N. daohugouensis N. dischides N. jurassicus N. pingi N. robustus N. spinosus Tyumen Formation, Russia N. patulus
Oxfordian (163.5 Ma to 157.3 Ma) Karabastau Formation, Kazakhstan N. foersteri N. lapidarius N. nigromonticola N. picturatus N. pulcher
Tithonian (152.1 Ma to 145.0 Ma) Shar Teeg, Mongolia N. brachycephalus N. exiguus Solnhofen, Germany N. reticulatus N. tripartitus
Cretaceous species Hauterivian (132.9 Ma to 129.4 Ma) Dabeigou Formation, China N. lentus
Barremian (129.4 Ma to 125.0 Ma) Jianshangou Formation, China N. laetus La Huérguina Formation, Las Hoyas, Spain N. diazromerali N. longicoxa N. siniestri N. viridis La Pedrera de Rúbies Formation, Spain N. martinclosas N. oculatus Ulan-Argalant Formation, Mongolia N. mongolicus
Aptian (125.0 to ~113.0 Ma) Argun Formation, Russia N. semen N. sibiricus Baojiatun Formation, China N. baojiatunensis Crato Formation, Brazil N. cratoensis Dzun-Bain Formation, Mongolia N. dundulaensis N. elegans Jehol Group, China N. validus Khasurty Formation, Russia N. khasurtyiensis Laiyang Formation, China N. laiyangensis N. ludongensis N. tuanwangensis Shahai Formation, China N. kezuoensis Yixian Formation, China N. alienus N. cyclodontus N. epicharis N. eumeurus N. minisculus N. porrectus N. protensus N. psilatus N. rudis N. stabilis Zaza Formation, Russia N. caudatus N. excellens N. vitimensis
Albian (~113.0 to 100.5 Ma) Jinju Formation, South Korea N. premeris
Cenomanian (100.5 to 93.9 Ma) Burmese amber, Myanmar N. denticollis (sometimes placed in separate genus Echinocups) N. neli (sometimes placed in separate genus Echinocups) N. ohmkuhnlei (sometimes placed in separate genus Echinocups)
Turonian (93.9 to 89.8 Ma) Emanra Formation, Russia N. khetanensis Kzyl-Zhar Locality, Kazakhstan N. caducus
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