Resumen

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: Novocharesaperitosp. nov. (Bolivia), N.bacasp. nov. (Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Suriname), N.bidenssp. nov. (Brazil), N.bisinuatussp. nov. (Brazil), N.clavierisp. nov. (Brazil, French Guiana, Peru), N.dantasp. nov. (Venezuela), N.dentatussp. nov. (Ecuador, Venezuela), N.dicranospathussp. nov. (Peru), N.duosp. nov. (Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela), N.fernandezaesp. nov. (Brazil, Peru, Venezuela), N.florifersp. nov. (Brazil), N.furcatussp. nov. (Brazil), N.garciaisp. nov. (Venezuela), N.garfosp. nov. (Brazil), N.geminussp. nov. (Brazil), N.kawsaysp. nov. (Ecuador, Peru), N.latussp. nov. (Brazil), N.minorsp. nov. (Peru, Suriname, Venezuela), N.mojenossp. nov. (Bolivia), N.murasp. nov. (Brazil), N.orchissp. nov. (Brazil, French Guiana, Suriname), N.pastinumsp. nov. (Ecuador), N.pertusussp. nov. (Brazil), N.piaroasp. nov. (Venezuela), N.pilatussp. nov. (Venezuela), N.pumesp. nov. (Venezuela), N.punctatostriatussp. nov. (Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname), N.quadrispinussp. nov. (Brazil, Guyana, Suriname), N.spanglerisp. nov. (Peru), N.tambopatensesp. nov. (Peru), N.tenedorsp. nov. (Guyana, Venezuela), N.triangularissp. nov. (Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay), N.tridentissp. nov. (Brazil), N.trifurcatussp. nov. (Peru), N.unguissp. nov. (Bolivia, Peru), N.xingusp. nov. (Brazil), and N.yanomamisp. nov. (Venezuela), N.yorasp. nov. (Peru). One new synonym is proposed: N.carmona (Short, 2005) syn. nov. was determined to be a junior subjective synonym of N.chaquensis (Fernández, 1982). Novocharesinornatus (d’Orchymont, 1926) is considered incertae sedis. Updated distributions and new records are provided for most previously described species in the genus. Novocharessallaei (Sharp, 1882) is considered native to the USA (Florida) and not an introduced species as previously suggested. Novochares now contains 52 species and spans the entire Neotropical region from Mexico to Argentina, including the Caribbean islands.