Purpuricenus caucasicola, a rare species known from , has been described from Novorossiysk environs (South Russia) by Mikhail Leontievich Pic Danilevsky in 2015 [▽]. Taxonomic value and current status of this species is unclear. Alexander I. Miroshnikov declared his opinion on the validity of this species in a publication devoted to protected beetles of the Sochi National Park [2018, ❖] relatively harshly:

"P. caucasicola according to the material, predominantly collected by me, in fact, doesn't have no reliable morphological differences from P. neocaucasicus Rapuzzi et Sama, 2013 (whose type series includes specimens from both Anatolia and the Caucasus). On this fact, I have repeatedly drawn the attention of M.L. Danilevsky before its publication, dethoroughly discussing this issue in our personal correspondence. However, M.L.D. remained convinced of the species independence of the Caucasian forms, but in the description he could not provide absolutely any clear evidence testifies to this, indicating only some extremely dubious differences (see [▽]) between P. neocaucasicus and P. caucasicola. I reexamined in detail a variety of material from various regions of Anatolia and the Caucasus, which I had at my disposal, and didn't even find Danilevsky's "differences" between Anatolian and Caucasian specimens. On this basis, P. caucasicola is synonym of P. neocaucasicus."

However, the taxon remains in databases (TITAN, BioLib) or in the Catalog of Palaearctic Coleoptera [✧], and it is clear that the entire cluster of these Caucasian Purpuricenus-species requires a proper revision.

Body length:	♂♂ 12 – 15.8 mm / ♀ 10.4 – 17.5 mm
Life cycle:	2 - 3 years
Adults in:	June - August
Host plant:	polyphagous in deciduous trees
Distribution:	South Russia and Transcaucasia (Georgia, Azerbaijan)

The depicted mounted male beetle (holotype) was collected on Orel Mt. in Dyurso (Дюрсо) village environs (N44°41′55″ E37°31′50″; 540 m a.s.l., Novorossiysk, Krasnodar krai, Southern Federal District, Russia) in June 30 - July 13, 2009.

Collected by A.I.Miroshnikov