Keys, descriptions and figures are provided for the identification of 30 species assignable to the nominate subgenus of the tenebrionid genus Eleodes. Three species groups can be recognized: the grandicollis group, containing only E. grandicollis Mannerheim; the obscurus group, containing E. obscurus (Say), E. acutus (Say) and E. suturalis (Say); and the dentipes group, containing E. dentipes Eschscholtz, E. acuticaudus LeConte, E. adumbratus Blaisdell, E. armatus (LeConte), E. curvidens Triplehorn & Cifuentes, E. discinctus Blaisdell, E. eschscholtzi Solier, E. femoratus LeConte, E. gracilis LeConte, E. hispilabris (Say), E. loretensis Blaisdell, E. mexicanus Blaisdell, E. mirabilis Triplehorn, E. moestus Blaisdell, E. muricatulus Triplehorn, E. rossi Blaisdell, E. rugosus Perbosc, E. samalayucae Triplehorn, E. sanmartinensus Blaisdell, E. scyropterus Triplehorn, E. spinipes Champion, E. sponsus LeConte, E. subcylindricus Casey, E. tenuipes Casey, E. vanduzeei Blaisdell, and a new species described herein, Eleodes fiski Triplehorn.

Eleodes amadeensis Blaisdell and Eleodes striatipennis Blaisdell are synonymized under Eleodes armatus (LeConte). Eleodes subpinguis Blaisdell is synonymized under Eleodes hispilabris (Say). Eleodes wickhami Horn is synonymized under E. eschscholtzi Solier. The status of Eleodes femoratus LeConte 1851 under E. militaris Horn 1870, is reversed based on priority.