Taxonomic and nomenclatorial revision of the genus Cheilonycha Lacordaire, 1842 with type species Cheilonycha chalybea (by original monotypy), based on Cicindela chalybea Dejean, 1825, is presented. It is concluded here that a subsequent type designation by Horn (1910), who without any explanation mentioned Ch. auripennis (Lucas, 1857) as the type species of the genus, was unjustified and must be considered invalid according to ICZN (1999). Examinations of type specimens have revealed that Cheilonycha auripennis sensu auctorum (sensu Horn 1922 and subsequent authors) is a complex of taxa. As a result, one new subspecies of Ch. auripennis (Lucas, 1857) and one new species of the genus are described and the following taxa of Cheilonycha are recognized and presented here: Ch. chalybea (Dejean, 1825), Ch. a. auripennis (Lucas, 1857), Ch. a. chiquitosiana ssp. nov. and Ch. bucephalauripennis sp. nov. Type specimens of Ch. a. angustedilatata (W. Horn, 1922) based on Odontochila (Chilonycha) auripennis angustedilatata W. Horn, 1922, proved to be fully conspecific with the type specimens of Ch. auripennis based on Cicindela auripennis Lucas, 1857. Consequently, Ch. a. angustedilatata syn. nov. is treated here as a junior synonym of Ch. a. auripennis. The history of the taxonomy of these taxa, their distribution and biology, including photographs of the termitophilous habitat, relevant lectotype designations, descriptions (redescriptions respectively) and illustrations in colour photographs of the habitus, diagnostic characters and variability are provided.