Praocis (Praonoda) Flores & Pizarro-Araya

Flores, Gustavo E. & Pizarro-Araya, Jaime, 2014, Towards a revision of the South American genus Praocis Eschscholtz (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae), with estimation of the diversity of each subgenus, ZooKeys 415, pp. 53-80 : 66

(7) Subgenus Praocis (Praonoda) Flores & Pizarro-Araya subgen. n. Figs 12, 27-28

Type species.

Praocis bicarinata Burmeister, 1875, present designation.

Diagnosis.

Clypeus with anterior margin extending beyond to lateral expansion of frons, width of anterior margin not exceeding half the interocular width, clypeal suture as a horizontal groove not covered by frons, clypeus lower than frons; antennomere 9 longer than antennomere 10, antennomere 11 longer than antennomere 10; apical tomentose sensory patches on antennomere 10 in two areas subequal in size, on antennomere 11 on distal half; prosternum without a narrow edge on anterior margin; lateral margin of elytron well defined; ventral surface of profemora without a row of setae on anterior edge, protibiae explanate.

Distribution.

The species of Praocis (Praonoda) occur from Neuquén and Rio Negro provinces in Argentina (40°S) to northern Tierra del Fuego Island (52°30'S) with the species Praocis (Praonoda) bicarinata as the unique species of Praocis inhabiting Tierra del Fuego. They inhabit the biogeographic provinces of Patagonia and Monte ( Morrone 2006) (Fig. 27).

Diversity.

This subgenus contains 2 species ( Kulzer 1958) plus 2 species to be described, 4 species in total, with a 100 percent increase in the number of species (Fig. 33).

Habitat.

Species of Praocis (Praonoda) have diurnal and crepuscular habits, hiding during the night under shrubs or stones. They inhabit the Patagonian steppes from sea level to an altitude of 1250 m, in sandy soils or clayey, poorly permeable soils (collection data FMNH, IADIZA and pers. obs.) (Fig. 28).

Species included.

Praocis bicarinata Burmeister, 1875 (= Praocis silphomorpha Fairmaire, 1883a, synonymy by Berg 1884); Praocis molinari Kulzer, 1958.