Key to genera of Podapolipidae
Identification of genera is based on a combination of features from all life stages. See Tables 1–3 for a tabular assessment of genera. These should be used in tandem with the key and host associations and, if some life stages are lacking, in preference to it.
1. Female with three or less pairs of legs.................................................................... 2
- Female with four pairs of legs [Host family: Chrysomelidae]........................ Chrysomelobia Regenfuss, 1968 .
2. Female with three pairs of legs (excluding a regressed third pair, if present)....................................... 3
- Female with two or less pairs of legs (a regressed third pair rarely present)...................................... 11
3. Male with four pairs of legs............................................................................. 4
- Male with three pairs of legs............................................................................ 7
4. Male with genital capsule dorsal; female with genua II–III bearing setae; larva having seta h2 ........................ 5
- Male with genital capsule terminal; female with genua II–III bare; larva lacking seta h2 [Host family: Carabidae]........................................................................... Ovacarus Stannard & Vaishampayan, 1971
5. Female with at least opisthosomal plate C divided, opisthosomal plates often reduced............................... 6
- Female with all opisthosomal plates entire and well developed [Host family: Carabidae]........ Dorsipes Regenfuss, 1968
6. Adult female lacking ventral plate and h setae, femora II–III bearing setae; male lacking claws on pretarsi II–III (present on pretarsus I) [Host family: Scarabaeidae].............................................. Tarsopolipus Berlese, 1911
- Female retaining setae h1 and h2 on ventral plate, femora II–III bare; male with claws on pretarsi II–III [Host family: Scarabaeidae]................................................................. Stenopolipus Husband, 1984
7. Male with genital capsule mid-dorsal..................................................................... 8
- Male with genital capsule terminal [Host family: Carabidae]............................ Eutarsopolipus Berlese, 1913
8. Female with evident dorsal plates (at least prodorsal plate) bearing setae, some setae present on genu I; larva with well developed setae h2 ............................................................................................ 9
- Female lacking evident dorsal plates and setae, leg setation greatly reduced (adult female only), lacking all genual setae; larva lacking setae h2 [Host family: Blaberidae]................................ Blaberpolipus Husband & OConnor, 2003
9. Female with prodorsal and opisthosomal plates, body cuticle smooth, femur II lacking setae........................ 10
- Female with prodorsal plate only, body cuticle covered with papillation, femur II with two setae [Host family: Anostostomatidae]...................................................... Wetapolipus Husband & Zhang, 2002
10. Female with at least two femur I setae; male with pretarsi lacking claws and setae sc2 minute or vestigial [Host family: Scarabaeidae]....................................................... Scarabapolipus Husband & Kurosa, 1993
- Female without femur I setae; male with pretarsi bearing claws and setae sc2 long, extending well past posterior margin of prodorsal shield [Host family: Carabidae].......................................... Regenpolipus Husband, 1986
11. Female with two pairs of legs (rarely with second pair regressed).............................................. 12
- Female without or with one pair of legs.................................................................. 27
12. Female with second pair of legs well developed............................................................ 13
- Female with second pair of legs vestigial [Host family: Tenebrionidae]......... Tenebrapolipus Kurosa & Husband, 2001
13. Female with stigmata and associated tracheae............................................................. 14
- Female lacking stigmata and associated tracheae [Host family: Cerambycidae]............... Tetrapolipus Berlese, 1911
14. Larvae with genu II bare.............................................................................. 15
- Larvae with genu II bearing one seta.................................................................... 17
15. Female with opisthosomal plates........................................................................ 16
- Female without opisthosomal plates [Host family: Curculionidae]............... Rhinopolipus Husband & Kurosa, 2000
16. Female and larval femur II with one seta; genu I with three setae; male pretarsi with claws; larval plate CD fused. [Host family: Curculionidae]...................................................... Curculapolipus Husband & Kurosa, 2000
- Female and larval femur II bare; genu I with one seta; male pretarsi lacking claws; larval plate CD partially fused. [Host family: Chrysomelidae]................................................... Cassidopolipus Husband & OConnor, 2014`
17. Females and larval female with femur I bearing one seta; larval female with plates C and D fully fused................ 18
- Females and larval female with femur I bearing two or three setae; larval female with plates C and D variable but usually partially fused or fully separated........................................................................ 19
18. Female with opisthosomal plates entire; male with genital capsule just beyond margin of opisthonotal shield, prodorsal setae developed [Host family: Buprestidae]....................................... Buprestapolipus Husband et al., 1995
- Females with all opisthosomal plates divided; male with genital capsule within margin of opisthonotal shield, prodorsal setae minute or vestigial [Host family: Scarabaeidae]....................................... Dilopolipus Husband, 1984
19. Female lacking all dorsal shields........................................................................ 20
- Female with at least prodorsal shield.................................................................... 21
20. Female with developed femoral setae; male genitalia on projection extending beyond anterior opisthonotal margin, often into prodorsal shield [Host family: Coccinellidae]..... Coccipolipus Husband, 1972 (part, all species except for C. macfarlanei)
- Female lacking femoral setae; male genitalia within opisthonotal shield [Host family: Tettigoniidae]................................... Orthapolipus Husband & Li, 1993 (part, O. nicsarae Husband & Li, 1993, O. beeri Husband et al., 2005)
21. Male genital capsule extending beyond anterior opisthonotal margin, beyond bases of setae sc2...................... 22
- Male genital capsule within opisthonotal shield [Host family: Tettigoniidae]............................................................................. Orthapolipus Husband & Li, 1993 (part, O. balboanae Husband et al., 2005)
22. Male genital capsule at most reaching the base of gnathosomal capsule......................................... 23
- Male genital capsule with an elongate process, well extending beyond the anterior margin of gnathosomal capsule [Host family Curculionidae].................................................. Rhynchopolipus Husband & Flechtmann, 1972
23. Female with opisthosomal plates (at least plates C and D); male with claws on tarsi II-III; larva with seta h2 ............ 24
- Female without opisthosomal plates; male without claws on tarsi II–III; larva lacking seta h2 [Host family: Blattidae].................................................................................... Peripolipus Husband, 1984
24. Female with propodosoma not extending over gnathosoma, larva with femur I and genu I with no more than two setae each. .................................................................................................. 25
- Female with propodosoma extending over gnathosoma; larva with femur I and genu I with three setae each............. 26
25. Male seta sc2 long, extending well beyond posterior margin of prodorsal plate; genitalia with a thin structure extruding anteriorly from the centre of the capsule; larva with plate C concave posteriorly, plate D sits in concavity [Host family: Tenebrionidae]............................................................... Stigmacarus Feldman-Muhsam & Havivi, 1977
- Male seta sc2 minute; genitalia without a thin anterior structure; larva with plates C and D fused into single plate [Host family: Tenebrionidae]..................................................... Simalurapolipus Kurosa & Husband, 2013
26. Male tarsal claws on legs II– III absent; genital capsule extending nearly to the apex of the gnathosoma; larva with femur II with one seta [Host family: Cydnidae]......................................... Cydnipolipus Kurosa & Husband, 1994
- Male tarsal claws on legs II– III present; genital capsule barely exceeding the base of setae sc2; larva with femur II bare [Host family: Cerambycidae].................................................... Kurosapolipus Husband & Li, 1993
27. Female with one pair of legs........................................................................... 28
Female without legs [Host family: Silphidae].................................... Silphopolipus Kurosa et al., 2004
28. Female with one developed femoral seta obviously larger than other femoral or tibial setae......................... 29
- Female lacking femoral seta........................................................................... 31
29. Female with prodorsal shield; larva with genu I bearing one seta.............................................. 30
- Female lacking prodorsal shield; larva with genu I bearing three setae [Host family: Coccinellidae]................................................................... Coccipolipus Husband, 1972 (part, C. macfarlanei Husband, 1972)
30. Male with genital capsule mid-dorsal, not extending onto prodorsal shield; larva with seta h2 developed [Host families: Acrididae, Pyrgomorphidae].................................................. Podapolipoides Regenfuss, 1968
- Male with genital capsule extending beyond level of setae v2; larva with seta h2 vestigial or absent [Host families Curculionidae, Tenebrionidae, Dermestidae ( Coleoptera); Acrididae, Pyrgomorphidae, Tetrigidae ( Orthoptera); Blaberidae ( Blattodea)]............................................................................ Podapolipus Rovelli & Grassi, 1888
31. Female chelicera stylets simple and separate; larva with genu I bearing zero to two setae........................... 32
- Female cheliceral stylets prominent, winding around each other forming a corkscrew-like structure; larva with genu I bearing three setae [Host family: Blaberidae]...................................... Bakerpolipus Husband & Sinha, 1970a
32. Male with genital capsule mid-dorsal or prodorsal and with three pairs of legs; larva with plates C and D fully fused, femur I bearing three setae, femur II with one seta................................................................ 33
- Male with genital capsule terminal and with four pairs of legs, fourth pair vestigial; larva with plates C and D separate, femur I bearing two setae, femur II bare [Host family: Scarabaeidae].......................... Archipolipus Husband, 1971
33. Female with prodorsal shield; male genitalia extending to or beyond prodorsal shield; male setae sc2 long, extending beyond prodorsal shield margins; larva with genu I bearing zero or one seta, lacking setae h2 [Host families: Acrididae, Apidae].................................................................................. Locustacarus Ewing, 1924
- Female lacking prodorsal shield; male genital mid-dorsal, dividing opisthosomal shield; male seta sc2 minute; larva with genu I bearing two setae, with developed setae h2 [Host: Blaberidae]....................... Panesthipolipus Husband, 1984