Cladodes Solier, 1849: 444.

Type species: Cladodes flabellatus Solier, 1849: 445 (by monotypy).

Diagnosis: Eyes as wide as one-quarter to one-fifth head width in frontal view, interocular distance 2–3× longer than eye width in frontal view, mandibles almost semicircular. Antennal sockets separated by threequarters, one-third or one-quarter clypeus width in frontal view. Branch of antennomere III at least threequarters as long as IV. Pronotum semicircular or almost triangular, translucent spots absent. Abdominal terga with corners strongly projected, sternum VIII bisinuate, median projection acute, 3.0–3.5× longer than corners. Pygidium 1.5× wider than long, with central portion and lateral corners of the same length or with central region rudimentary to absent. Phallus one-third longer to onethird shorter than parameres. Parameres with lateral margins almost parallel-sided, sometimes slightly emarginate medially, strongly convergent posteriorly, with posterior margin acute or rounded.

Species included: Cladodes flabellatus Solier, 1849, C. cincticollis (Blanchard, 1846) comb. nov., C. melanurus (Laporte, 1833) comb. nov., C. ater (Solier, 1849), C. gloriosus (Olivier, 1885), C. proteus Olivier, 1894, C. solieri Kirsch, 1865.

Distribution: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Peru.

Comments: Cladodes proteus was transferred to Ledocas by McDermott (1966) and is here placed in Cladodes again. Cladodes cincticollis and C. melanurus are transferred from the genus Vesta. Resolving the relationships of Cladodes ater, C. gloriosus, C. proteus and C. solieri would require more extensive sampling. Although male genitalia of the four species show several similarities, the absence of antennal rearrangement in C. gloriosus and C. ater resulted in a nested tree pattern. Therefore, the taxonomic placement of the group is difficult and the species are provisionally kept in Cladodes.