Parataenius, Balthasar, 1961

Stebnicka, Z. Teresa & Skelley, Paul E., 2009, Taxonomic redefinition of the genera Parataenius Balthasar and Pseudataenius Brown, with descriptions of three new species (Scarabaeidae: Aphodiinae: Eupariini), Insecta Mundi 2009 (66), pp. 1-18 : 2-4

Key to the species of Parataenius

1. Head coarsely wrinkled, wrinkles broken into segments ( Fig. 1-3 , 7-9 ); pronotum with coarse punctures widely scattered along base and on sides ................................................................. 2

— Head with fine, close, slightly rugose wrinkles ( Fig. 4-6 , 10-12 ); pronotum with fine to moderate, close punctures everywhere ....................................................................................................... 4

2(1). Body elongate, moderately convex, reddish brown ( Fig. 1 , 7 ); meso- and metatibiae slightly dilated apically, terminal spur of protibia in male hooked inwardly at apex. Argentina, Bolivia......... ........................................................................................................... P. selvae , new species

— Body oblong-oval, strongly convex, dark castaneous to black ( Fig. 2-3 , 8-9 ); meso- and metatibia distinctly dilated apically, terminal spur of protibia in both sexes straight ............................ 3

3(2). Color black; coarse pronotal punctures very few, concentrated on sides ( Fig. 2 , 8 ); elytra about 2 times as long as pronotum. Argentina................................................ P. estero , new species

— Color reddish brown; coarse pronotal punctures more numerous, scattered in posterior half of pronotum and on sides ( Fig. 3 , 9 ); elytra about 2.5 times as long as pronotum. Widely distributed ............................................................................................................. P. simulator (Harold)

4(1). Pronotal punctures everywhere fine, uniformly distributed ( Fig. 4 , 10 ), punctures separated by about one puncture diameter. Southern South America ........................ P. derbesis (Solier)

— Pronotal punctures everywhere mixed fine and moderate ( Fig. 5-6 , 11-12 ), punctures separated by 1 to 3 times the diameter of a puncture .............................................................................. 5

5(4). Color yellowish brown; punctures of pronotum shallow, close, separated by about one times their diameter ( Fig. 5 , 11 ); elytra microreticulate, intervals finely punctate throughout. Argentina.......................................................................................................... P. brunneus (Schmidt)

— Color reddish brown; punctures of pronotum deep, separated by 1 to 3 times a diameter ( Fig. 6 , 12 ); elytra shiny, smooth, intervals impunctate. Argentina...................................................... ..................................................................................................... P. martinezi , new species

Figures

Figure 1-6. Parataenius spp., dorsal habitus. 1) P. selvae, holotype. 2) P. estero, holotype. 3) P. simulator. 4) P. derbesis. 5) P. brunneus. 6) P. martinezi, holotype.

Figure 7-12. Parataenius spp., anterolateral view of head and pronotum. 7) P. selvae, holotype. 8) P. estero, holotype. 9) P. simulator. 10) P. derbesis. 11) P. brunneus. 12) P. martinezi, holotype.