Eutarsopolipus Berlese, 1913

Seeman, Owen D. & Katlav, Alihan, 2024, Podapolipid mites (Acari: Heterostigmata): key to genera, biogeographical history and description of four new Australian species of Eutarsopolipus, Zootaxa 5448 (3), pp. 301-347 : 314

Genus Eutarsopolipus Berlese, 1913

Type species: Tarsopolipus lagenaeformis Berlese, 1911 , by original designation.

Diagnosis. See Seeman (2019a).

Remarks. Eutarsopolipus is morphologically diverse, reflecting its diversity as the largest genus of Podapolipidae ( Tables 1–4 ). Males in this genus are distinctive due to the terminal position of their genitalia, which is shared only by Archipolipus , Ovacarus and some exceptional species of Chrysomelobia ( Table 1 ). The genus is difficult to define based on females and larvae alone, appearing similar to five other genera with three pairs of well developed legs ( Tables 1–3 ). Generally, the femoral and genual setation (in combination) in the female and larval female define Eutarsopolipus species, but this setation is very similar to its possible sister-group genera Dorsipes and Ovacarus , both found on Carabidae ( Husband 1991) . Dorsipes is very close to Eutarsopolipus and is likely to be its sister group: it would not be surprising to find species that form a grade into Eutarsopolipus , further blurring lines between the genera. Most Dorsipes species have a more complete leg chaetotaxy, with femora I–III 3-(0-1)-(0-1) and genua I–III (1-4)-(0-3)-(0-3). The presence of various femoral and genual setae, which are never found in Eutarsopolipus , will indicate the mite belongs to Dorsipes . For instance, Dorsipes mackenzyae Husband & Husband, 2007 has a much-reduced genual setation for genua I–III (1-0-0), similar to many Eutarsopolipus , but retains seta d on femora II–III, which is never found in Eutarsopolipus . Similarly, Dorsipes auncinius Husband, 2000c has a reduced femoral setation (3-0-0) but the retention of two setae on genu II has never been found in Eutarsopolipus .