Neocunaxoides Smiley, 1975

Skvarla, Michael J., Fisher, J. Ray & Dowling, Ashley P. G., 2014, A review of Cunaxidae (Acariformes, Trombidiformes): Histories and diagnoses of subfamilies and genera, keys to world species, and some new locality records, ZooKeys 418, pp. 1-103 : 28-31

Neocunaxoides Smiley, 1975

Historical review.

Baker and Hoffmann (1948) described Cunaxoides andrei . Smiley (1975) erected Neocunaxoides and moved Neocunaxoides andrei to the genus. Gupta and Chattopadhyay (1978) described Neocunaxoides biswasi from bird nests in Bengal, India. Den Heyer (1978c) placed Neocunaxoides in the subfamily Cunaxoidinae . Kuznetzov and Livshitz (1979) reported Cunaxoides andrei from Russia, having either disagreed with or been unaware of Smiley’s 1975 publication. Den Heyer (1980a) described Neocunaxoides lajumensis , Neocunaxoides rykei , and Neocunaxoides zuluensis from South Africa. Tseng (1980) reported and figured Neocunaxoides andrei and Neocunaxoides whartoni from Taiwan. Michocka (1987) reported Neocunaxoides andrei from Poland. Inayatullah and Shahid (1989) described Neocunaxoides dilato and Neocunaxoides kalamiensis . Neocunaxoides cerasoides was described by Gupta (1991). Smiley (1992) synonymized Scutopalus with Neocunaxoides and moved Cunaxoides trepidus to Neocunaxoides . Corpuz-Raros (1996c) described Neocunaxoides grandis and Neocunaxoides mahabaeus . Hu (1997) reported Neocunaxoides andrei from China. Lin, Zhang, and Ji (2001) described Neocunaxoides boltoides and Neocunaxoides fani and later ( 2003) described Neocunaxoides ovatus . Fawzy (2007) described Neocunaxoides metwallyi . Corpuz-Raros and Gruèzo (2007) described Neocunaxoides ornatus . Castro and Den Heyer (2009) moved Pulaeus trepidus (= Neocunaxoides trepidus ) to Scutopalus .

Diagnosis.

Gnathosoma. Pedipalps 3-segmented. Femurogenua at least twice as long as wide, complemented with 6 setae. Tibiotarsi at least twice as long as wide and usually complemented with 6 setae. Tibiotarsi possess two or three knob-like apophyses, a single spur, or sometimes a flange-like seta. Subcapitulum with 6 pairs of setae (hg1 - 4 and 2 pairs of adoral setae); setae hg4 often the longest. Chelicera with seta present.

Idiosoma, dorsal. Proterosoma bears a well-sclerotized shield which is complemented with 2 pairs of setae (lps and mps) and 2 pairs of setose sensillae (at and pt). Dorsal hysterosoma bears a sclerotized plate which is variable in size and fused with the proterosomal shield; it may be complemented with a variable number of setae depending on the size of the plate. Setae c1 - h1, c2, and h2 present. Setae f2 absent. Cupule im present laterad and posterior of e1. The integument not covered in shields or plates is striated.

Idiosoma, ventral. Coxae sclerotized and well-defined. Coxae I-II may be fused and may coalesce medially for form a sternal shield. Coxae III-IV may be fused. Each coxa complemented with 2-4 setae. Genital plates each bear 4 setae (g1 - 4), which are usually in a straight now; 2 pairs of genital papillae visible underneath the plates. Anal plates bear one pair of setae; one pair of setae is present ventrally on the integument near the anal plates. Cupule ih present ventrally laterad the integumental setae associated with the anal plates. Integument not covered in shields or plates is striated. Legs. Tarsi never constricted apically so as to end in lobes. Trichobothrium on leg tibia IV present. Basifemora setal formula 3-5-2-0. Ambulacral claws rippled and occur on either side of a 4-rayed empodium.

Key to adult female Neocunaxoides

Cunaxoides philippinensis (Corpuz-Raros, 2007) is regarded as belonging to Neocunaxoides because it has 6 seatae on the femurogenu and lacks setae f2. Neocunaxoides makapalus , Neocunaxoides philippinensis (Corpuz-Raros, 1996c), Neocunaxoides unguianalis , and Neocunaxoides rugosus are regarded as belonging to Scutopalus as they possess 5 sts on pedipalp femurogenu and extensive dorsal shields. They have therefore not been included in the following key.

Neocunaxoides biramus is not included in the key because it is only known from the male. It can be distinguished from all other Neocunaxoides , and indeed all described cunaxids, by the presence of a branched sci and 4 teeth on the lateral lips of the hypostome.

Neocunaxoides metwallyi is not included in the key as, despite the best efforts of the authors and the University of Arkansas Interlibrary Loan Department, the description could not be obtained.

We agree with and follow Castro and Den Heyer (2009) and Den Heyer and Castro (2009) in regarding Scutopalus as a valid and separate genus.

1	Coxae I-II fused medially to form sternal shield ( Figs 28a-d )	2
-	Coxae I-II not fused medially (may be connected anteromedially) ( Figs 29a-d )	6
2 (1)	Posterior edge of coxae IV extending beyond anterior edge of genital plates ( Figs 28a, b )	3
-	Posterior edge of coxae IV not extending beyond anterior edge of genital plates ( Figs 28c, d )	5
3 (2)	Small platelet anteriomedially of genital plates present ( Fig. 28a )	Neocunaxoides fani Lin, Zhang & Ji, 2001
-	Small platelet anteriomedially of genital plates absent ( Fig. 28b )	4
4 (3)	Solid or broken band of papillae on ventral subcapitulum present ( Fig. 30a ); subcapitulum longer, length: width 1.75:1	Neocunaxoides zuluensis Den Heyer, 1980
-	Solid or broken band of papillae on ventral subcapitulum absent ( Fig. 30b ); subcapitulum shorter, length: width 1.25:1	Neocunaxoides lajumensis Den Heyer, 1980
5 (2)	Hysterosomal plate present, fused with proterosomal shield, and bearing c1 - e1, c2; small platelet anteriomedially of genital plates present ( Fig. 28c )	Neocunaxoides boltoides Lin, Zhang & Ji, 2001
-	Hysterosomal plate absent; small platelet anteriomedially of genital plates absent ( Fig. 28d )	Neocunaxoides philippinensis (Corpuz-Raros, 2007)
6 (1)	Median platelet between coxae II present ( Figs 29a-c )	7
-	Median platelet between coxae II absent ( Fig. 29d )	13
7 (6)	Basifemora V with 1 sts	8
-	Basifemora V with 0 sts	11
8 (7)	Basifemora I with 2 sts	Neocunaxoides biswasi Gupta & Chattopadhyay, 1978
-	Basifemora I with 3 sts	9
9 (8)	All setae on pedipalp of normal length, none extremely long	10
-	2 setae on pedipalp femurogenu extremely long, nearly as long as segment; 1 distal pedipalp tibiotarsal setalong, longer than segment ( Fig. 31 )	Neocunaxoides mahabaeus Corpuz-Raros, 1996
10 (9)	Basal subcapitular polygonal pattern elongate ( Fig. 32a ); foveolae on dorsal shield present ( Fig. 33a )	Neocunaxoides ornatus Corpuz-Raros & Gruèzo, 2007
-	Basal subcapitular polygonal pattern not elongate ( Fig. 32b ); foveolae on dorsal shield absent ( Fig. 33b )	Neocunaxoides grandis Corpuz-Raros, 1996
11 (7)	Small platelet anteriomedially of genital plates present ( Fig. 29a )	Neocunaxoides ovatus Lin, Zhang & Ji, 2003
-	Small platelet anteriomedially of genital plates absent ( Fig. 29b, c )	12
12 (11)	Coxae I connected anteromedially ( Fig. 29b ); mushroom-shaped seta on pedipalp tibiotarsi absent	Neocunaxoides rykei Den Heyer, 1980
-	Coxae I not connected anteromedially ( Fig. 29c ); mushroom-shaped seta on pedipalp tibiotarsi present ( Fig. 34 )	Neocunaxoides andrei (Baker & Hoffmann, 1948)
13 (6)	Femora I (basifemora I + telofemora I) with 6 setae	Neocunaxoides cerasoides Inayatullah & Shahid, 1989
-	Femora I (basifemora I + telofemora I) with 9 setae	15
14 (13)	Coxae I-IV setal formula 2-3-3-1; combined femora (basifemora + telofemora) II-IV setal formula 11-7-5	Neocunaxoides dilato Inayatullah & Shahid, 1989
-	Coxae I-IV setal formula 2-2-3-2; combined femora (basifemora + telofemora) II-IV setal formula 10-7-4	Neocunaxoides kalamiensis Inayatullah & Shahid, 1989

Figures

Figures 28 - 34. Neocunaxoides key illustrations. See key for explanations of figures.