Neocarus Chamberlin & Mulaik 1942

Vázquez, Magdalena & Klompen, Hans, 2009, New species of New World Opilioacaridae (Acari: Parasitiformes) with the description of a new genus from the Caribbean region., Zootaxa 2061, pp. 23-44 : 24-25

Neocarus Chamberlin & Mulaik 1942

Neocarus Chamberlin & Mulaik 1942: 127 ; also Lehtinen (1980); Kaiser & Alberti (1991); Alberti & Coons (1999) Opilioacarus With 1902 , synonymy Van der Hammen (1966): 4; also Camin et al. (1958); Van der Hammen (1969, 1970); Juvara-Bals & Baltac (1977); Hoffmann & Vázquez (1986)

Opilioacarus (Neocarus) With 1902 , Klompen (2000); also Vázquez & Klompen (2002)

Diagnosis: 1. With 2 pairs of eyes and With's organ membranous and discoid (3 pairs of eyes and With's organ biramous and setiform in Paracarus Chamberlin & Mulaik and Siamacarus Leclerc ).

2. Main opisthosomal segments in adults without setae (with numerous setae in Panchaetes Naudo , Salfacarus Van der Hammen, and Vanderhammenacarus Leclerc )

3. Penultimate segment of idiosoma in adults with 3 setae (0 in Adenacarus Van der Hammen, Paracarus , and Siamacarus ; 5–7 in Opilioacarus With , Phalangiacarus , and Indiacarus Das & Bastawade ).

4. Palp tarsus in adults with 4–5 foliate setae (more than 5 in Phalangiacarus Coineau & van der Hammen, Siamacarus , Caribeacarus n. gen.)

5. Tarsus I sensillum with "crown-like" tip in main group of sensory sensilla (terminal in Caribeacarus ; condition unclear in most other genera).

Additional characters (focused on differences with Caribeacarus ). Palp trochanter in adults generally with 5 or less setae (generally more than 5 in Caribeacarus ). Modified palp tarsal seta in male (type sm3 of Vázquez & Klompen (2002)) present (some Neocarus only) (absent in Caribeacarus ). Sternitogenital region between the sternal and genital verrucae with 4–8 pairs of stout, ribbed setae (3–4 pairs in Caribeacarus ).

Species included:

Neocarus texanus Chamberlin & Mulaik 1942 . Type species (= N. arizonensis Chamberlin & Mulaik 1942 ; synonymy Van der Hammen (1966): 4)

N. platensis (Silvestri 1905)

N. orghidani ( Juvara-Bals & Baltac 1977)

N. ojastii Lehtinen 1980

N. bajacalifornicus ( Vázquez & Klompen 2002)

N. bajacalifornicus chamelaensis Vázquez & Klompen n. subsp. N. nicaraguensis ( Vázquez & Klompen 2002)

N. nohbecanus ( Vázquez & Klompen 2002)

N. siankaanensis ( Vázquez & Klompen 2002)

N. calakmulensis Vázquez & Klompen n. sp.

N. veracruzensis Vázquez & Klompen n. sp.

Note. The combination in the adults of 3 setae on the penultimate segment of the idiosoma, 4–5 foliate setae on the palp tarsus, and sensillum with "crown-like" tip in main group of tarsus I sensilla, unites all of these species. However, it is not entirely clear whether these states are derived or primitive. This character polarity problem requires a complete phylogenetic analysis of the family, a procedure beyond the scope of this study.