Revised and emended generic diagnoses for all stages and both sexes ofParacricotopusThienemann and Harnisch are given. The genus appears most closely related toRheocricotopusThienemann and Harnisch with some similarities of larvae and females toNanocladiusKieff. andMesocricotopusBrund. All stages and both sexes are described or redescribed of the PalaearcticParacricotopus niger(Kieffer) and ofParacricotopus glabern. sp. from South Carolina.