NOMEN: Adephaga Stephens 1828 [J.F. Stephens. Illustrations on British entomology. Mandibulata. Vol.1–7 (1828–1835). Haustellata. Vol.1–7 (1828–1834) // London, publ. Baldwin and Cradock.]
ORIGINAL LISTED MEMBERSHIP (Stephens 1828): Cicindelidae + Brachinidae + Scaritidae + Carabidae + Harpalidae + Bembidiidae + Elaphridae + Dytiscidae + Gyrinidae
SENIOR CIRCUMSCRIPTIONAL SYNONYMS:
?= Creophaga Dumeril 1800
?= Adephagi Clairville 1806
= Entomophaga Latreille 1810
= ?Adephagana Kirby 1826
JUNIOR CIRCUMSCRIPTIONAL SYNONYMS:
?= Carnivora Griffith 1832
= Adephagina Pearce 1936
TYPIFIED NAME IN BASIC FORMAT: Carabus/f=Cicindela/g (incl. Dytiscus, Gyrinus)
TYPIFIED NAMES IN USE:
MODERN
STATUS: 
the valid (but not the
oldest) name of a generally accepted, holophyletic taxon
COMMENT. Possibly, the true authorship and the original spelling of this name is Adephagi Clairville 1806; however, the 2nd volume of the book by Clairville is finished with the 32nd genus Noterus, and it is unclear, if the genus Gyrinus was not included in the taxon Adephagi, or it was included there, but was not described in the 2nd volume. Next volumes have not been published. At that time Gyrinus was either united with Carabus, Cicindela, Dytiscus, et al. (e.g. in Entomophaga Latreille 1810), or considered separately from them (e.g. in the family Otiophori of the tribe Saprophagi separately from the tribe Entomophagi by Latreille 1806).