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We report on the first investigation of feather mites associated with birds living on the Barton Peninsula (King George Island, Antarctica). We found seven feather mite species of the superfamily Analgoidea from four host species. Two new species are described from two charadriiform hosts: Alloptes (Sternalloptes) antarcticussp. nov. (Alloptidae) from Stercorarius maccormicki Saunders (Stercorariidae), and Ingrassia chionissp. nov. (Xolalgidae) from Chionis albus (Gmelin) (Chionidae). Additionally, we provide partial sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI), which was utilized as a DNA barcode, for all seven feather mite species.

Three new feather mite species of the Nycteridocaulus generic group (Proctophyllodidae: Proctophyllodinae) are described from passerines in Panama: Atrichophyllodes myrmotherulae sp. n. from the Slaty Antwren, Myrmotherula schisticolor (Lawrence) (Thamnophilidae), Nycteridocaulus apanaskevichi sp. n. from the Grey-breasted Wood Wren, Henicorhina leucophrys (Tschudi) (Troglodytidae), and N. empidonicus sp. n. from the Yellowish Flycatcher Empidonax flavescens Lawrence (Tyrannidae). Nycteridocaulus apanaskevichi, presenting the second record of the genus from a host of oscine passerines, differs from N. guaratubensis Hernandes, 2014 in having the anterolateral extensions of the prodorsal shield rounded and the hysteronotal shield lacking any ornamentation. Males of N. empidonicus differ from N. myiobius Mironov, 2017 in having the supranal concavity open posteriorly and tarsus IV with rounded apical process; and females are distinguished by macrosetae h2 having long filiform apices. Males of A. myrmotherulae most clearly differ from A. mentalis Hernandes et al. 2007 in having the terminal lamellae rectangular and tarsus IV with triangular ventral process, and females are distinguished in having a noticeably longer idiosoma, 400–430 μm long. Comments on systematics and host associations of the genera Atrichophyllodes and Nycteridocaulus are provided.

Many organisms live in or on birds, with arthropods being the best studied ones. Ectosymbiotic arthropods may parasitise birds by feeding upon blood or feathers, thereby causing injury or competing for essential resources. Nevertheless, ectosymbionts sometimes cause no adverse effect to birds because they consume only excess preening oil, debris and microorganisms on feathers. The influence of these ectosymbionts on host body condition is still poorly understood, especially for species living in one of the most endangered biomes, the Atlantic Forest in South America. We tested for the relationships between ectosymbionts and host’s morphological traits: flight muscle condition, mass index and feather growth rate. We inspected the body surface of 282 individual birds of 45 understory‐dwelling species looking for ectosymbionts and estimated vane‐dwelling feather mite load in their remiges. We calculated ectosymbiont prevalence and mean infestation intensity in 193 individual birds from 11 species. In seven species (n = 106 individual birds), we tested for the relationship between ectosymbionts and morphological traits using generalised linear mixed models. We found a negative relationship between the presence of ectoparasites and the host pectoral muscle condition, supporting the parasitic nature of tissue‐feeding symbionts. Nevertheless, we found no relationship between vane‐dwelling feather mite loads and hosts’ morphological traits, which supports the hypothesis of likely commensalism between these organisms.

Two new feather mite species collected from the Huet's fulvetta, Alcippe hueti (Passeriformes, Leiothrichidae), in China are described: Proterothrix dinghushani sp. n. (Proctophyllodidae) and Trouessartia pauciseta sp. n. (Trouessartiidae). Males of P. dinghushani have a pair of lateral hysteronotal sclerites and a closed pentagonal sclerotized frame in the postero-median part of propodosoma. Females of this species have the sternum 1/4 of the total length of epimerites, and the terminal cleft exceeds half of the length of the lobar shield. Both sexes of T. pauciseta have a distinctive character, the absence of 3 pairs of hysteronotal setae (d1, d2, and e2), that clearly differs this species from all previously known species of the genus.

Forty-one belted kingfishers, Megaceryle alcyon (Linnaeus) (Aves: Coraciiformes: Alcedinidae), from Manitoba, Canada were examined for ectoparasites in 1995–2020. One species of chewing louse, Alcedoffula alcyonae Carriker (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera: Philopteridae), infested 48.8% of hosts. The mean intensity of infestation was 17.1, and mean abundance was 8.5 lice per bird. Distribution of infestation was highly aggregated. Although female lice outnumbered males, the sex ratio was not significantly different from 1.0. The ratio of nymphs to females was 2.6. An unidentified species of feather mite of the genus Proterothrix Gaud (Acari: Astigmatina: Proctophyllodidae) infested three of 35 hosts (8.6%). No mites were found in the quills of primary feathers from 19 birds, and no nasal mites were collected from 32.

Two new species of feather mites are described from two individuals of the black-tailed godwit, Limosa limosa (Linnaeus, 1758), in Korea: Alloptes (Conuralloptes) neolimosaesp. nov. (Analgoidea, Alloptidae) and Phyllochaeta limosaesp. nov. (Pterolichoidea, Syringobiidae). Males of A. (C.) neolimosaesp. nov. are distinguished from A. (C.) limosae in having the hysteronotal shield with a straight anterior margin, setae h2 enlarged and slightly flattened in the basal half, and the terminal lamella monotonously transparent without sclerotized patches; females differ in having legs IV with ambulacral discs extending to or slightly beyond the level of setae f2. The discovery of P. limosaesp. nov. represents the first record of the feather mite genus Phyllochaeta on godwits of the genus Limosa Brisson, 1760 (Scolopacidae, Limosinae). Males of P. limosaesp. nov. are distinguished from P. secunda in having the terminal cleft semi-ovoid with a length-to-width ratio of 1.7, and the terminal membranes with 15 or 16 finger-shaped denticles; females differ in having the hysteronotal shield bearing faint longitudinal striations in the posterior third and lacking lacunae, and setae c1 situated posterior to the level of setae c2. Additionally, we obtained partial sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene from A. (C.) neolimosaesp. nov. and estimated genetic distances from 10 other Alloptes species based on comparisons of COI sequences.

Made available in DSpace on 2021-06-25T10:17:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-03-01 Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Aim: The simultaneous influence of abiotic and biotic factors as main drivers of global species distributions remains poorly understood, especially in host-dependent groups. In this study, we diverge from traditional macroecological approaches by considering both biotic (avian species diversity) and abiotic (climatic) factors in determining the global distribution pattern of feather mite species richness, one of the most abundant and diverse bird ectosymbionts. Location: Global. Methods: We used a global dataset of feather mite–bird interactions published in 2016, complemented with an up-to-date literature survey. We created statistical models designed to explain the effect of abiotic (i.e., temperature, precipitation and energy-related variables) and biotic factors (bird species richness) on the species richness of feather mites. We used these models to predict global distribution patterns of mites and estimate each explanatory variable's relative importance in temperate and tropical regions. Results: According to our models, bird species richness accounts for ~63% of the global distribution pattern of mites, which is ten times more relevant than climatic variables. Among abiotic drivers, precipitation intensity and seasonality were the most important variables, accounting for 10% of mite species richness. This figure is lower in tropical regions, where biotic factors are seven times more important than in temperate regions. Main conclusions: We demonstrate that global mite diversity was primarily determined by biotic and, to a lesser extent, abiotic factors. The relative importance of the predictive variables, however, varied between tropical and temperate regions. The strong association between bird species richness and feather mite species diversity at a global scale raises concerns about the potential for future co-extinctions. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Etnobiologia e Conservação da Natureza Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco Departamento de Ecologia e Zoologia CCB/ECZ Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina Departamento de Biodiversidade Instituto de Biociências Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Departamento de Zoologia Laboratório de Ecologia Biogeografia & Evolução de Aves Universidade Federal de Pernambuco Illinois Natural History Survey Prairie Research Institute University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Adjunto do Departamento de Biologia Laboratório de Síntese Ecológica e Conservação da Biodiversidade Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco Departamento de Biodiversidade Instituto de Biociências Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)

A new feather mite genus Bernierinyssus gen. n. (Analgoidea: Pteronyssidae), associated with endemic Malagasy warblers (Passeriformes: Bernieridae), is proposed based on morphological evidence and DNA sequence data. Within this genus, we detected six mite species, including five new species described here: Bernierinyssus angulatus sp. n. from Crossleyia xanthophrys, B. bernieriae sp. n. from Bernieria madagascariensis, B. bifenestratus sp. n. from Hartertula flavoviridis, B. randiae sp. n. from Randia pseudozosterops, B. xanthomixis sp. n. from Xanthomixis zosterops (type host) and X. cinereiceps, and B. oxylabis (Mironov and Wauthy 2005) comb. n. (transferred from Pteronyssoides Hull). Phylogenetic relationships of these mites were nearly perfectly congruent with those of their hosts, indicating that ancestral Bernierinyssus probably co-dispersed to Madagascar on the common ancestor of Malagasy warblers and then cospeciated with their hosts. Species of Bernierinyssus are well-delimited based on several lines of evidence: morphology (clear among-specific differences in discrete characters), host associations (one mite species per one host species, except for B. xanthomixis), genetic distances (large COX1 barcoding gap between among- and within-species K2P distances: 8.22¨C12.38% vs 0¨C2.9%, respectively), and molecular phylogenetics (all species are well-supported, monophyletic clades). Our study suggests that species of the genus Bernierinyssus have evolved slower than their avian hosts or co-associated feather lice. Despite the discordance in the mitochondrial DNA evolutionary rates, speciation events in mites largely corresponded to bird species divergences, resulting in a nearly perfect correlation between mite and bird species richness (Eichler's Rule). The mite B. xanthomixis was associated with two avian species, but still formed two distinct shallow lineages (COX1 distance: 1.65%) separated by the host species. The nearly strict host-specificity pattern found in Bernierinyssus contrasts with that of continental feather mites, which tend to be less host-specific and have nearly equal proportions of single-host vs multi-host species.

Four new species of the feather mite genus Mesalgoides (Acariformes: Psoroptoididae: Pandalurinae) are described from passerine birds (Passeriformes) in China: Mesalgoides morrisonia sp. nov. from Alcippe morrisonia Swinhoe (Leiothrichidae), M. vinacea sp. nov. from Carpodacus vinaceus Verreaux (Fringillidae), M. flammicepis sp. nov. from Cephalopyrus flammiceps (Burton) (Paridae), and M. erythaca sp. nov. from Pyrrhula erythaca Blyth (Fringillidae).

The study presents the results of our re-investigation of feather mite species described by A. E. Grube in 1859 in the genus Dermaleichus Koch, 1841. Grube’s paper has been overlooked by most of the 19th and 20th century acarologists. Based on the study of the syntypes of four Dermaleichus species described by the above author, we provide taxonomic comments on them and new synonymies. We conclude the names of three species are valid (senior) synonyms, while one name is a junior synonym. Alloptes (Alloptes) tringae (Grube, 1859) comb. n. (Alloptidae) from Calidris alpina (Charadriiformes: Scolopacidae) is a new senior synonym of Alloptes (s. str.) crassipes (Canestrini, 1878) syn. n.; Analges tergisetis (Grube, 1859) comb. n. (Analgidae) from Pica pica (Passeriformes: Corvidae) is a new senior synonym of Analges corvinus Robin, 1877 syn. n.; Picalgoides caudilobus (Grube, 1959) comb. n. (Psoroptoididae) from Dendrocoptes medius (Piciformes: Picidae) is an older synonym of Dermaleichus picimajoris Buchholz, 1869, D. picipubescentis Packard, 1869, Analges serratilobus Giebel, 1871 and Analges socialis Robin, 1877 (synonymized by Oudemans in 1939, but overlooked by subsequent researchers). Dermaleichus albicillae Grube, 1859 syn. n. from Haliaeetus albicilla (Accipitriformes: Accipitridae) is a junior synonym of Pandionacarus fuscus (Nitzsch, 1818) (Avenzoariidae), a common parasite of Pandion haliaetus (Accipitriformes: Pandionidae).

A new feather mite genus Dendrocolaptobius gen. n. belonging to the Nycteridocaulus generic group (Proctophyllodidae: Proctophyllodinae) is described. The genus includes two species associated with woodcreepers (Furnariidae: Dendrocopaptinae): Dendrocolaptobius cuneiformis (Mironov, 2017) comb. n. previously described from Sittasomus griseicapillus (Vieillot) in Costa Rica; and D. lepidocolapti sp. n. described herein from Lepidocolaptes souleyetii (Lafresnaye) in Panama. The new genus Dendrocolaptobius is clearly distinguished from the other genera of the Nycteridocaulus group in having an inverted genital arch and enlarged bow-shaped basal sclerite in males and the copulatory opening situated dorsally on the lobar region in females.

A new species Calcealges bochkovi sp. n. (Astigmata: Analgoidea) is described from the lowland tiny greenbul Phyllastrephus debilis (Sclater) from Mozambique. This species is close to C. gyroplax Gaud et Mouchet, 1957 described from African bulbuls. Both sexes of these species are very similar in general body shape: in particular, in the form of the epimerites and of the opisthosomal lobes, as well as in the shape of the dorsal shields. The main diagnostic feature of the new species is the striation of dorsal shields, especially pronounced on the prodorsum (in C. gyroplax, these shields lack striae and they are uniformly dotted). The standard morphological description is supplemented by the COI barcode data.

Dünya'da ve Türkiye'de kuş akarlarına yönelik araştırmalarınbüyük bir çoğunluğu canlı/ölü kuşlar ve müze örnekleri üzerinedir. Halkalama istasyonlarıkuşlara zarar vermeden konak ve parazit temelli izleme çalışmalarının yapılabilmesineimkân vermektedir. Bu araştırmada Samsun, Cernek Halkalama İstasyonunda Passeriformestakımına ait kuş türlerinin taşıdığı on akar türünün farklı toplama metotlarınagöre farklı yıllardaki değişimlerinin izlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Çalışmada 2010-2013yılları arasında ilkbahar ve sonbahar göç döneminde farklı örnek toplama yöntemleriuygulanarak bazı ötücü kuş türlerinin tüy akarları araştırılmıştır. Üç farklı toplamayöntemi (Piretrin kullanımı, tüy toplama ve pens ile akar toplama) ile akar örnekleritoplanmış ve teşhis edilmiştir. Akarların tür ve habitat çeşitliliği, çalışma kolaylığı,süre ve etik açıdan en uygun toplama yöntemi; stereo mikroskop kullanılarak pensile akarların toplanması ve araştırılmasıdır. Kuyruk ve kanat tüylerinde Dolichodectes, Proctophyllodes ve Trouessartia;karın tüylerinde ise Analges ve Strelkoviacarus cinslerine ait tüy akarıtürleri tespit edilmiştir. Kuş göçlerinin araştırıldığı bir halkalama istasyonundayapılmış olan bu araştırma, Türkiye'de gelecekte yapılması planlanan akaroloji araştırmalarınınfarklı ilgi alanlarından uzmanlar tarafından disiplinler arası bir yaklaşım ileplanlanması gerektiğini göstermektedir., A large majority of the researches on bird mites in theworld and in Turkey is based on alive/dead birds and museum specimens. Ringing stationsallow doing host and parasite-based monitoring work without harming birds. In thisstudy, it was aimed to monitor the changes of ten mite species carried by bird speciesbelonging to Passeriformes order in Cernek Ringing Station, Samsun in differentyears according to different collection methods. During the spring and autumn birdmigration periods between 2010 and 2013, the feather mites of some passerine specieswere investigated by applying different sampling methods. Mite samples were collectedwith three different collection methods (Pyrethrin use, feather collecting, andmite collecting with forceps) and identified. The most appropriate collection methodbased on species and habitat diversity of mites, ease of operation and duration,and ethics is collecting and investigating the mites with the forceps by using astereomicroscope. The feather mite species of the genus Dolichodectes, Proctophyllodes, and Trouessartia were determined on tail and wing feathers while the feathermites of Analges and Strelkoviacarus genera were determined onthe abdominal feathers. This research, which was conducted at a ringing stationwhere bird migration was investigated, shows that future acarology research in Turkeyneeds to be planned with experts from different areas of interest through an interdisciplinaryapproach.

Two new species of the feather mite genus Trouessartia (Analgoidea: Trouessartiidae) are described from tyrant flycatchers (Tyrannidae) in Argentina: Trouessartia salvadori sp. nov. from the White-crested Tyrannulet Serpophaga subcristata (Vieillot) and T. gonzalezacunai sp. nov. from the Vermilion Flycatcher Pyrocephalus rubinus (Boddaert). Trouessartia salvadori sp. nov. is close to T. longiducta Hernandes et Valim, 2015 and most clearly differs from the latter in having, in males, the genital apparatus with wedge-shaped hyaline extensions and the anterior genital papillae situated more distant from the midline than posterior ones, and in females, setae h1 not extending beyond the margin of the interlobar membrane, and the posterior part of the hysteronotal shield bearing well outlined ovate lacunae except in the narrow median area. Trouessartia gonzalezacunai sp. nov. is similar to T. savanae Hernandes, 2014, but is distinguished from that species in having, in males, the terminal lamellae shaped as a fishtail, the epiandrum shaped as a goblet, the apophyses of adanal apodemes represented by thick spine-like tubercles, and in females, setae h1 minute spiculiform about 10 long, and the external copulatory tube shaped as a small rounded tubercle near the margin of interlobar membrane.

Mites of the genus Analges (Acariformes: Analgidae) inhabit the down feathers of passeriform birds. The evolutionary history of Analges and the co-phylogentic relationships between these mites and their hosts are unknown. Our phylogenetic analysis supported the monophyly of the genus, but it did not support previous taxonomic hypotheses subdividing the genus into the subgenera Analges and Analgopsis or arranging some species into the A. chelopus and A. passerinus species groups. Molecular data reveal seven new species inhabiting Eurasian passerines and support the existence of several multi-host species. According to molecular dating, the origin of the Analges (c. 41 Mya) coincided with the Eocene diversification of Passerida into Sylvioidea and Muscicapoidea–Passeroidea. The initial diversification of Analges took place on the Muscicapoidea clade, while remaining passerine superfamilies appear to have been colonized because of host-switching. Co-speciation appears to be relatively common among Analges species and their hosts, but the most striking pattern in the co-phylogenetic scenario involves numerous complete host-switches, spreads and several failures to speciate. The mechanism of long-term gene-flow among different populations of multi-host Analges species is enigmatic and difficult to resolve. Probably, in some cases mites could be transferred between birds via feathers used as nest material.

Two new species of the feather mite genus Proctophyllodes (Analgoidea: Proctophyllodidae) are described from two passerine birds (Passeriformes) in China: Proctophyllodes scleroticus sp. nov. from the Brandt's Mountain Finch Leucosticte brandti pallidior (Fringillidae) and P. micrurus sp. nov. from the White-rumped Snow Finch Onychostruthus taczanowskii (Passeridae). Proctophyllodes scleroticus sp. nov. belongs to the tricetratus species-group, and differs from the most similar species P. petroniae Atyeo & Braasch, 1966 by the following characters: in male, the genital sheath is heavily sclerotized, peach shaped, and extending to the level of setae g, anal suckers are surrounded with a pair of membranes, and terminal lamella is relatively greater, and in female, lobar shield is divided into two independent shields by the anal opening and anal opening extends beyond the level of setae ps1, terminal appendage is long. Proctophyllodes micrurus sp. nov. belongs to the musicus species-group, and differs from the most similar species P. saltatoris Atyeo & Braasch, 1966 by the following characters: in male, genital arch and the anterior part of opisthogastric shield are about the same width, anal suckers are surrounded with a pair of membranes, genital organ extends to the anterior 1/3 of the level of setae g and setae ps3, terminal lamella are located closely to each other and slightly greater, and in female, lobar shields are medially divided into two halves, terminal appendages are small, about 1/10 of setae h3, edge of the cleft is almost horizontal.

Two new species of the feather mite genus Trochilodectes Park & Atyeo (Acariformes: Proctophyllodidae) are described from hummingbirds (Apodiformes: Trochilidae) in Colombia: T. capitocaudatus sp. nov. from Ocreatus underwoodii (Lesson, 1832) and T. andinus sp. nov. from Phaethornis guy (Lesson, 1833). A key to all presently known species of the genus Trochilodectes is presented.

Made available in DSpace on 2022-04-28T19:41:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-06-01 Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Proctophyllodes Robin (Proctophyllodidae: Proctophyllodinae) is a widely distributed feather mite genus, which most species show high level of specificity to their bird hosts. We describe two new species of this genus from passerines commonly found in urban environments in Brazil: Proctophyllodes molothrussp. nov. from the Shiny Cowbird Molothrus bonariensis (Gmelin) (Icteridae), and P. carmenmirandaesp. nov. from the Rufous-collared Sparrow Zonotrichia capensis (Statius Müller) (Passerellidae). The former is similar to P. egglestoni Spory and differs from it in having a unique shape of opisthosomal lobes in females; P. carmenmirandae is closer to P. tiaris Atyeo & Braasch and differs in having a relatively longer adeagus in males and setae h1 situated on soft tegument between hysteronotal and lobar shields in females. Departamento de Zoologia Universidade Estadual Paulista, Av. 24-A 1515, São Paulo State Departamento de Ecologia e Zoologia CCB/ECZ Trindade Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Santa Catarina Departamento de Zoologia Universidade Estadual Paulista, Av. 24-A 1515, São Paulo State

Kirikkale University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Parasitology Department Laboratory has brought a male kobay for 3-4 months with the complaint having a large number of black mites on his hair by a student of the same school. Microscopic examination revealed that this mite was Chirodiscoides caviae. These cases were reported for the first time in Turkey. The animal has been treated with fipronil.

Two new pteronyssid feather mite species are described from passeriform birds in China: Pteroherpus pomatorhinae sp. nov. from the Streak-breasted Scimitar-babbler Pomatorhinus ruficollis Hodgson (Passeriformes, Timaliidae), and Pteroherpus chinensis sp. nov. from the Collared Finchbill Spizixos semitorques Swinhoe (Passeriformes, Pycnonotidae). Pteroherpus pomatorhinae sp. nov. belongs to the diploplax species group. The males of Pteroherpus pomatorhinae sp. nov. have the prodorsal shield elongated, the opisthosoma narrowed to posterior end, the opisthosomal lobes slightly elongated, and two pairs of small additional sclerites (one dorsally, between prodorsal and hysteronotal shield, and one ventrally posterior to genital apparatus). The females of Pteroherpus pomatorhinae sp. nov. have a pair of anterior hysteronotal sclerites, a central sclerite, a pair of lateral opisthosomal sclerites partially split into lateral and inner fragments and a pair of pygidial sclerites. The central sclerite has almost parallel lateral margins and concave posterior margin, and the posterior ends of the fragments of opisthosomal shields are connected by a thick bridge. Pteroherpus chinensis sp. nov. belongs to the hoplophorus species group. The males of Pteroherpus chinensis sp. nov. have prodorsal shield slightly longer than wide, the opisthosoma moderately narrowed to posterior end, the opisthosomal lobes wide and short and the adanal shield with irregular form. The females of Pteroherpus chinensis sp. nov. have the anterior hysteronotal sclerite fused with the prodorsal shield into a complex shield, a central sclerite, a pair of lateral opisthosomal sclerites and a pair of pygidial sclerites. The central sclerite is well delimited, and shaped as a longitudinal plate, slightly narrower posteriorly, with slightly convex anterior margin, concave lateral margins, and strongly convex posterior end.

To date, the feather mite family Ptyssalgidae (Acariformes: Analgoidea) has been known from a single species associated with hummingbirds (Apodiformes: Trochilidae). Here, based on our collecting in Mexico, we describe (i) a new genus and species, Tyrannoptyssalges striatus gen. n., sp. n., from a passerine host Tolmomyias sulphurescens (Passeriformes: Tyrannidae) and (ii) four new species of the genus Ptyssalges Atyeo and Gaud, 1979 from hummingbirds (Apodiformes: Trochilidae): Ptyssalges amaziliae sp. n. from Amazilia rutila (Delattre) (type host), A. candida (Bourcier & Mulsant) and A. yucatanensis (Cabot), P. anthracothoracis sp. n. from Anthracothorax prevostii (Lesson, R.), P. atyeoi sp. n. from Phaethornis longirostris (Delattre), and P. campylopteri sp. n. from Campylopterus curvipennis excellens (Wetmore). In addition, we redescribe Ptyssalges major (Trouessart, 1887), the type species of the genus, based on newly collected material from the type host, Eutoxeres aquila, from Panama. Standard morphological descriptions of all mite species are supplemented by CO1 barcoding sequence data. In the genus Ptyssalges, CO1 K2P interspecific genetic distances were 11.39–11.89%, while distances between the single species of Tyrannoptyssalges and species of the genus Ptyssalges were 16.34–17.87%. New, amended diagnoses for the family Ptyssalgidae and the genus Ptyssalges and a key to all known ptyssalgid species are provided. Preliminary hypotheses on the origin and ancestral host associations of ptyssalgids are briefly discussed.

Background Faunistic information about feather mites in Egypt is scarce, as well as in the Middle East region. Results Gabucinia delibata (Robin, 1877) (Astigmata: Pterolichoidea: Gabuciniidae) is recorded for the first time in Egypt from the hooded crow, Corvus cornix (Linnaeus, 1758) (Passeriformes: Corvidae). Adult males and females of G. delibata are redescribed and illustrated. Examined specimens were compared with previous description and anomalous features were discussed. Conclusion The new mite record reported here provides descriptive information for future taxonomic research of feather mites in Egypt. Hopefully, the present work would encourage more comprehensive surveys in the Middle East region since a large number of undiscovered species is expected.

In this study, we determined the mitogenome sequence of Ardeacarus ardeae (Canestrini, 1878) in the family Pterolichidae (Acari, Sarcoptiformes), which is the first complete mitogenome sequence in feather mite. The mitogenome of A. ardeae is 14,069 bp in length and contains 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNAs (tRNAs), 2 ribosomal RNAs (rRNAs), and a control region (CR). The phylogenetic tree shows that A. ardeae belong to the supercohort Desmonomatides within the order Sarcoptiformes.

The feather mite Plesialges mimus Trouessart, 1919, briefly described from the White-browed Babbler Pomatostomus superciliosus (Vigors & Horsfield) (Passeriformes: Pomatostomidae), is the only species of the genus Plesialges Trouessart, 1919. In this work, I redescribe this mite species based on the type specimens, transfer it into the genus Hemialges Trouessart, 1895, and provide it with the valid name Hemialges mimus (Trouessart, 1919) comb. n. The genus Plesialges syn. n. is synonymized with the genus Hemialges. A new diagnosis, comments on taxonomy and an updated checklist of species are provided for the genus Hemialges. The transfer of P. mimus to the genus Hemialges created a conflict with the previously named Hemialges mimus Trouessart, 1920 from the Trumpet Manucode, Phonygammus keraudrenii (Lesson & Garnot) (Passeriformes: Paradisaeidae). Hemialges mimus (Trouessart, 1919) comb. n. is now the older homonym within this genus and H. mimus Trouessart, 1920 from the Trumpet Manucode is a junior homonym; here I provide the latter with a new name, Hemialges trouessarti nom. n.

Parasitological studies of the Franklin's gull, Leucophaeus pipixcan, are scarce, and knowledge about its endoparasites is quite limited. In order to describe its parasitic community, a total of 60 Franklin’s gulls were captured in the coastal area in central Chile, using modified Bal-chatri traps. Ectoparasites were collected from all 60 live individuals through inspection of their plumage, while 30 were examined for endoparasites by standard parasitological necropsy. The prevalence of ectoparasites was 78.3%, including the feather mite Zachvatkinia larica (43.3%) and four species of lice: Actornithophilus piceus lari (15.0%), Austromenopon transversum (6.7%), Quadraceps punctatus (10.0%) and Saemundssonia lari (46.7%). Some 25 of 30 (83.3%) of birds necropsied were parasitized with the following helminths: Aporchis sp. (6.7%), Tetrabothrius cylindraceus (56.7%), Cyclophyllidea gen. sp. (3.3%), Profilicollis altmani (56.7%), Eucoleus contortus (10.0%), Cosmocephalus obvelatus (13.3%), Paracuaria adunca (10.0%), Stegophorus sp. (3.3%) and Tetrameres skrjabini (3.3%). To our knowledge, with the exception of P. altmani, these helminths are reported for first time in the Franklin's gull.

Two new feather mite species, Nycteridocaulus sulcatus sp. n. and Tyranniphyllodes empidonicus sp. n. (Astigmata: Proctophyllodidae), are described from the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Empidonax flaviventris (Passeriformes: Tyrannidae), in Canada. The clearest distinguishing characteristic of N. sulcatus is the structure of the supranal concavity in males, which is parallel-sided, heavily sclerotized and opened posteriorly. Tyranniphyllodes empidonicus readily differs from the only previously known species, T. pitangi Hernandes et al. 2007, by the absence of setae d1 in both sexes and in having strongly elongated epimerites IVa and the genital sheath in males not extending to the tip of the aedeagus, and long anterolateral extensions of the prodorsal shield in females. This is the first record of the genus Tyranniphyllodes in North America., Acarologia, 60, 878-891

Ten new species of the feather mite genus Trouessartia Canestrini, 1899 (Analgoidea: Trouessartiidae) are described from various passerines of the superfamily Passeroidea in Georgia: Trouessartia americana sp. n. from Setophaga americana (Linnaeus), T. helmitheros sp. n. from Helmitheros vermivorum (Gmelin, JF), T. mniotilta sp. n. from Mniotilta varia (Linnaeus), T. pensylvanica sp. n. from Setophaga pensylvanica (Linnaeus) (type host) and S. palmarum (Gmelin, JF), T. ruticilla sp. n. from S. ruticilla (Linnaeus), T. seiurus sp. n. from Seiurus aurocapilla (Linnaeus), T. tigrina sp. n. from Setophaga tigrina (Gmelin, JF) (Parulidae), T. passerinae sp. n. from Passerina caerulea (Linnaeus) (type host) and P. cyanea (Linnaeus), T. ciris sp. n. from P. ciris (Linnaeus) (Cardinalidae), and T. spizellae sp. n. from Spizella passerina (Bechstein) (Passerellidae). Based on a specific combination of morphological characters, all new species and six previously known species are arranged into a new species group capensis in the genus Trouessartia. The most important diagnostic characters of this species group include: in both sexes, the dorsal hysterosomal apertures are absent; in males, the postgenital plaque is well developed and genital setae g have cylindrical articulation rings; in females, the external copulatory tube is straight, stylet- or finger-like, and situated on the margin of the interlobar membrane, and the head of spermatheca has a semi-ovate extension without indentations. A key to all species referred to the capensis group is provided and host associations of this group with passerines are summarized and briefly discussed. It is hypothesized that this species group originated on the ancestors of New World nine-primaried oscines (Emberizoidea) and diverged in close relation with this group of hosts.

The feather mite family Gabuciniidae currently includes 16 genera and approximately 65 described species associated with birds of nine orders, with the greatest diversity on Accipitriformes. In this study, 11 new species are described from the following hosts: Aetacarus accipiter sp. nov. from the Bicolored Hawk Accipiter bicolor (Vieillot, 1817) (Accipitriformes: Accipitridae), Capitolichus campoflicker sp. nov. from the Campo Flicker Colaptes campestris (Vieillot, 1818) (Piciformes: Picidae), Coraciacarus cabure sp. nov. from the Barred Forest-falcon Micrastur ruficollis (Vieillot, 1817) (Falconiformes: Falconidae), Coraciacarus peixefrito sp. nov. from the Pheasant Cuckoo Dromococcyx phasianellus (Spix, 1824) (Cuculiformes: Cuculidae), Gabucinia neotropica sp. nov. from the Curl-crested Jay Cyanocorax cristatellus (Temminck, 1823) (type host) and C. chrysops (Vieillot, 1818) (Passeriformes: Corvidae), Hieracolichus caboclo sp. nov. from the Savanna Hawk Buteogallus meridionalis (Latham, 1790) (Accipitriformes: Accipitridae), Hieracolichus falcon sp. nov. from the Southern Caracara Caracara plancus (Miller, 1777) (Falconiformes: Falconidae), Piciformobia adjuncta sp. nov. from the Guira Cuckoo Guira guira (Gmelin, 1788) (Cuculiformes: Cuculidae), Proaposolenidia bicolor sp. nov. from the Bicolored Hawk Accipiter bicolor (Vieillot, 1817) (Accipitriformes: Accipitridae), Proaposolenidia plumbea sp. nov. from the Plumbeous Kite Ictinia plumbea (Gmelin, 1788) (Accipitriformes: Accipitridae), and Tocolichus toco sp. nov. from the Toco Toucan Ramphastos toco Statius Müller, 1776 (Piciformes: Ramphastidae). In addition, two new combinations are proposed, Proaposolenidia ostoda (Gaud, 1983) comb. nov. and Aetacarus hirundo (Mégnin & Trouessart, 1884) comb. nov., both transferred from the genus Hieracolichus. With the addition of these new species, the number of gabuciniids described from the Neotropical region has increased from 14 to 25 species. These findings indicate that Brazil is home to a large diversity of undescribed gabuciniids, which is not surprising considering the vast bird fauna of this country, and especially since most avian species from Brazil have yet to be investigated for their feather mites.

A new species of the feather mite genusTrouessartia(Trouessartiidae) is described from the Large NiltavaNiltavagrandis(Blyth) (Passeriformes, Muscicapidae) in Northeast India (Meghalaya, Jaintia Hills, Shnongrim village).TrouessartianiltavaeConstantinescu,sp. n.is morphologically closely related (no phylogenetic meaning) toT.bulligeraGaud, 1968 fromClytorhynchushamlini(Mayr) (Passeriformes: Monarchidae), sharing in males a unique character within the genus, by having setaeeon legs IV hemispheroid, with spine-shaped apex. Males of the new species have the prodorsal shield without ornamentation, the prohysteronotal shield and lobar shield connected, and the terminal cleft parallel sided. Females have the posterior half of the hysteronotal shield ornamented with large ovate lacunae in central area and small elliptical lacunae marginally. To the morphological description of this new feather mite species we added sequence data on the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene fragment (COI). The phylogenetic relationships betweenTrouessartiaspecies are briefly discussed.

Feather mites are among the most common and diverse ectosymbionts of birds, yet basic questions such as the nature of their relationship remain largely unanswered. One reason for feather mites being understudied is that their morphological identification is often virtually impossible when using female or young individuals. Even for adult male specimens this task is tedious and requires advanced taxonomic expertise, thus hampering large-scale studies. In addition, molecular-based methods are challenging because the low DNA amounts usually obtained from these tiny mites do not reach the levels required for high-throughput sequencing. This work aims to overcome these issues by using a DNA metabarcoding approach to accurately identify and quantify the feather mite species present in a sample. DNA metabarcoding is a widely used molecular technique that takes advantage of high-throughput sequencing methodologies to assign the taxonomic identity to all the organisms present in a complex sample (i.e., a sample made up of multiple specimens that are hard or impossible to individualise). We present a high-throughput method for feather mite identification using a fragment of the COI gene as marker and Illumina Miseq technology. We tested this method by performing two experiments plus a field test over a total of 11,861 individual mites (5360 of which were also morphologically identified). In the first experiment, we tested the probability of detecting a single feather mite in a heterogeneous pool of non-conspecific individuals. In the second experiment, we made 2 × 2 combinations of species and studied the relationship between the proportion of individuals of a given species in a sample and the proportion of sequences retrieved to test whether DNA metabarcoding can reliably quantify the relative abundance of mites in a sample. Here we also tested the efficacy of degenerate primers (i.e., a mixture of similar primers that differ in one or several bases that are designed to increase the chance of annealing) and investigated the relationship between the number of mismatches and PCR success. Finally, we applied our DNA metabarcoding pipeline to a total of 6501 unidentified and unsorted feather mite individuals sampled from 380 European passerine birds belonging to 10 bird species (field test). Our results show that this proposed pipeline is suitable for correct identification and quantitative estimation of the relative abundance of feather mite species in complex samples, especially when dealing with a moderate number (> 30) of individuals per sample., Funding was provided by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Ramón y Cajal research contract RYC-2009-03967 to RJ, research project CGL2011-24466 to RJ, and CGL2015-69650-P to RJ and DS). JD was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Severo Ochoa predoctoral contract SVP-2013-067939), and SV was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (RFBR-6-04-00486).

A large majority of the researches on bird mites in the world and in Turkey is based on alive/dead birds and museum specimens. Ringing stations allow doing host and parasite-based monitoring work without harming birds. In this study, it was aimed to monitor the changes of ten mite species carried by bird species belonging to Passeriformes order in Cernek Ringing Station, Samsun in different years according to different collection methods. During the spring and autumn bird migration periods between 2010 and 2013, the feather mites of some passerine species were investigated by applying different sampling methods. Mite samples were collected with three different collection methods (Pyrethrin use, feather collecting, and mite collecting with forceps) and identified. The most appropriate collection method based on species and habitat diversity of mites, ease of operation and duration, and ethics is collecting and investigating the mites with the forceps by using a stereomicroscope. The feather mite species of the genusDolichodectes, Proctophyllodes, andTrouessartiawere determined on tail and wing feathers while the feather mites ofAnalgesandStrelkoviacarusgenera were determined on the abdominal feathers. This research, which was conducted at a ringing station where bird migration was investigated, shows that future acarology research in Turkey needs to be planned with experts from different areas of interest through an interdisciplinary approach.

Feather mites (Astigmata) are among the most common ectosymbionts that live on birds. The present research was conducted between 2010 and 2013 in the Kizilirmak delta Cernek Bird Ringing Station in Samsun, Turkey. Assessments of the taxonomy, collection methods, and the periodic host-species relationships of the mites collected were conducted for 591 individuals of 10 bird species belonging to the family Sylviidae captured using mist nets during the bird migration periods. Ten feather mite species were identified from the families Proctophyllodidae, Analgidae, and Trouesartidae. These species are Strelkoviacarus quadratus (Haller, 1882); Dolichodectes edwardsi (Trouessart, 1885); Proctophyllodes cetti Badek, Mironov, and Dabert, 2008; Proctophyllodes clavatus Fritsch, 1961; Proctophyllodes doleophyes Gaud, 1957; Proctophyllodes sylvia Gaud, 1957; Trouessartia bifurcata (Trouessart) 1884; Trouessartia inexpectata Gaud, 1957; and Trouessartia trouessarti Oudemans, 1904. Among these species, Trouessartia bifurcata (Trouessart) 1884 is a new record for Turkey. New host records were reported from Turkey for 7 feather mite species. The least damaging method for the birds is to collect mites directly by using a stereomicroscope and forceps. The maximum number of feather mite species (7) was detected on Sylvia atricapilla and the minimum (1) on Phylloscopus trochilus . Proctophyllodes clavatus and Proctophyllodes sylvia were the most commonly recorded feather mite species.