Pnesthes Lacordaire, 1848 Fig. 11

Lacordaire (1848: 403); Chapuis (1874: 1-16); Jacoby and Clavareau (1906: 68); Guérin (1943: 51).

Type species.

Pnesthes ligata Lacordaire designated by Monrós (1953a: 150).

Diagnosis.

The most particular character to diagnose this genus is the shape of the head, which is anteriorly prolonged, strongly tapering and triangular. Other diagnostic characters are: elongate body, shiny and glabrous; eyes moderately salient; pronotal base lobate; scutellum long and,triangular.

Distribution.

Two species from Brazil, one of these with a subspecies in Northeastern Argentina which was separated from the typical form by Monrós (1953a) on the basis of its smaller size and distinct punctuation.

Argentinian species checklist.

Pnesthes instabilis minuta Monrós, 1953a (MNS, SFE).