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