Explanation of Names
'prairie' + the suffix -ana, traditionally used in the names of the related genera
Numbers
10 spp. in our area (13 counting "varieties"), 17 total (20 counting "varieties")
(1)
NOTE: the notation citing the taxonomic authority of the listed species may have been inputted erroneously. This is pending correction.
Prairiana cinerea (Uhler, 1877): western U.S. and Canada
Prairiana fraudulenta (Spångberg, 1883): MD, Mexico
Prairiana hirsuta (DeLong, 1942): AZ
Prairiana kansana (Ball, 1920): transcontinental
Prairiana kansana var. angustens (DeLong, 1942): SD, NE, IA [likely a distinct species]
Prairiana latens (DeLong, 1942): AZ
Prairiana moneta (Van Duzee, 1923): AZ, CA, NE, NV
Prairiana orizaba (Ball & Reeves, 1927): AZ, TX; Mexico
Prairiana orizaba var. rolenta (DeLong, 1942): TX [likely a distinct species]
Prairiana ponderosa (Ball, 1920): CO
Prairiana ponderosa var. longiora (DeLong, 1942): TX [likely a distinct species]
Prairiana sidana (Ball, 1935): AZ, TX
Prairiana subta (Ball, 1920): AZ, CO, SD, TX
note: some of the species outside of the U.S. clearly belong in different genera.
Identification
see below for a graphic detailing the pregenital sternites of U.S. species.
Remarks
on the site iNaturalist, a large number of Mexican specimens were misidentified as Acuera, likely due to a misattributed BOLD specimen. Acuera is a neotropical genus that is paraphyletic in relation to Curtara and does not have the protruding head of Prairiana.
