Diagnosis.--Key characters: Ommatidial size coarse (Fig. 39b); prosternal process not planar, apex expanded (Fig. 18); mesal antennal spines present (Figs. 8b, 9b); pronotum with impunctate regions, without longitudinal rugosities or transverse ridges; femoral carinae absent; procoxal cavities closed laterally (Fig. 24); femoral apices rounded (Fig. 26); procoxal cavities open posteriorly (Fig. 18); tibial carinae present (Fig. 22); profemora gradually enlarged to linear (Fig. 37c, d); meso- and metafemora linear (Fig. 37d); shape of spine of antennomere three acute (Fig. 45a, b); antennomere three of males (and most females) about two-thirds length of pronotum (Fig. 46b); antennae without dense fringe of pubescence ventrally; lateral projections from mesosternum into mesocoxae absent (Fig. 20); dense golden or silver velvety pubescence present on elytra and pronotum; elytral sutural spines weak; elytral apicolateral spines strong. Length: 12-13 mm.

Distribution and Diversity.--Brazil. Monotypic.

Discussion.--Protomallocera has the dense silver and golden pubescence characteristic of the Mallocera and allies clade (Fig. 59). Protomallocera occurs in the key near Orwellion, although it is clearly distantly related (Fig. 50).

Protomallocera differs from Pseudomallocera in lacking femoral carinae. Protomallocera differs from Mallocera in having procoxal cavities closed laterally (examined Mallocera species had procoxae open laterally). Protomallocera differs from Neomallocera in having the elytral apex strongly spined laterally (Neomallocera lacks spines on elytral apex). Protomallocera differs from Appula in having unspined femoral apices.