Messoracarus Silvestri, 1912

Kontschán, Jenő & Seeman, Owen D., 2012, A new species of Messoracarus (Acari: Mesostigmata: Aenictequoidea: Messoracaridae) from Laos, Zootaxa 3527, pp. 55-62 : 56

Genus Messoracarus Silvestri, 1912

Messoracarus .— Kethley, 1977: 135.

Diagnosis. Messoracarid mites with the mesogynal shield absent or hidden by latigynal shields.

Type species. Messoracarus mirandus Silvestri, 1912 , by original designation.

Distribution. Sicily, Australia and Laos.

Remarks. Previousy only two species were recorded from this genus. Messoracarus mirandus Silvestri, 1912 was found in Sicily, Italy on its host Messor barbarus . The second species M. emarginatus was recorded from Sydney, Australia, on its host Pachycondyla lutea (Mayr) . The third species described herein was collected in Laos, but its host is unknown.