Revision of the Neotropical water scavenger beetle genus Novochares Girón & Short (Coleoptera, Hydrophilidae, Acidocerinae)

The water scavenger beetle genus Novochares Girón & Short, 2021 is revised using a combination of adult morphological and DNA sequence data. Thirty-eight new species are described: aperito sp. nov. (Bolivia), N. baca (Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Suriname), bidens (Brazil), bisinuatus clavieri French Guiana, Peru), danta (Venezuela), dentatus (Ecuador, Venezuela), dicranospathus (Peru), duo Guyana, Suriname, fernandezae florifer furcatus garciai garfo geminus kawsay latus minor (Peru, mojenos mura orchis pastinum (Ecuador), pertusus piaroa pilatus pume punctatostriatus quadrispinus spangleri tambopatense tenedor (Guyana, triangularis (Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay), tridentis trifurcatus unguis xingu yanomami yora (Peru). One synonym proposed: carmona (Short, 2005) syn. was determined to be junior subjective chaquensis (Fernández, 1982). inornatus (d’Orchymont, 1926) considered incertae sedis. Updated distributions records provided for most previously described in the genus. sallaei (Sharp, 1882) native USA (Florida) not an introduced as suggested. now contains 52 spans entire Neotropical region from Mexico Argentina, including Caribbean islands.