Parastizocera procera Click here for a larger view

Diagnosis.--Key characters: Ommatidial size coarse (Fig. 39b); prosternal process not planar, slightly expanded at apex (Figs. 18, 27); mesal antennal spines present (Figs. 8b, 9b); pronotum with impunctate regions but no longitudinal rugosities or large, confluent punctures; femoral carinae absent; procoxal cavities widely open laterally (Fig. 17); lateral projections from mesosternum into mesocoxae present (Fig. 21); peripheral pronotal calli pronounced (as in Fig. 12d); lateral mesocoxal cavities open (Fig. 7); pronotum with rounded lateral tubercles (Fig. 12e, 41b) and strongly impressed at base; antennomere three of males (and most females) about length of pronotum or greater (Fig. 46c); antennae exceeding elyral apices by at least 4-5 antennomeres in male; femora weakly clavate to gradually enlarged (Fig. 37c), not pedunculate; external meso- and metafemoral apices spinose (Fig. 25a); elytral apices with strong spines laterally and weak suturally. Length: 14-21 mm.

Distribution and Diversity.--México to northern South America and southern West Indies. Monotypic.

Discussion.--In the consensus tree (Fig. 50), this taxon fell as the sister taxon to Pantonyssus. These are members of a large polytomy above node C (Fig. 50). Most taxa within the clade above node C are distributed from North to Central America, so these are among just a few of the South American representatives. The key characters place Parastizocera near Apoclausirion which I hypothesize may belong near the primarily South American clades of Fig. 59 (Mallocera and allies) and Fig. 62 (Sphaerion and allies).

Parastizocera differs from Apoclausirion in having prominent peripheral pronotal calli (poorly developed in Apoclausirion) and rounded lateral pronotal tubercles (absent in Apoclausirion). Parastizocera differs from Stizocera in having antennomere three as long as pronotum in males and most females (two-thirds length in Stizocera) and linear to gradually enlarged metafemora (clavate to pedunculate in Stizocera). Parastizocera differs from Pantonyssus in having the spines of the meso- and metafemora broader and shorter than the spine of the third antennomere (femoral spines long and acute in Pantonyssus).