Geographical structuring of feather mite assemblages from the Australian brush-turkey (Aves: Megapodiidae)

Populations of a host species may exhibit different assemblages of parasites and other symbionts. The loss of certain species of symbionts (lineage sorting, or "missing-the-boat") is a mechanism by which geographical variation in symbiont assemblages can arise. We studied feather mites and lice from Australian brush-turkeys (Aves: Megapodiidae: Alectura lathami) and expected to observe geographical structuring in arthropod assemblages for several reasons. First, because the brush-turkey is a sedentary ground-dwelling bird, we predicted that geographically close host populations should share more similar arthropod assemblages than distant ones. Second, because brush-turkeys do not brood their young, vertical transfer of arthropods is unlikely, and brush-turkeys probably acquire their mites and lice at social maturity through contact with other birds. Young birds could disperse and found new populations without carrying complete sets of symbionts. We predicted that young birds would have fewer species of arthropods than older birds; in addition, we expected that males (which are polygynous) would have more species than females. Birds were sampled from 12 sites (=populations) along the east coast of Queensland, Australia, that were separated by a distance of 12.5-2,005 km. In total, 5 species of mites from the Pterolichidae and 1 species from the Ascouracaridae were found. Two species of lice were collected but in numbers too low to be statistically useful. Differentiation of mite assemblages was evident; in particular, Leipobius sp. showed 100% prevalence in 3 host populations and 0% in the remaining 9. A dendrogram of brush-turkey populations based on mite assemblages showed 2 geographically correlated clusters of sites, plus 1 cluster that contained 2 sites near Brisbane and 1 approximately at a distance of 1,000 km. There was no strong effect of host age or sex on number of mite species carried. Horizontal transfer of feather mites by hippoboscid flies, in addition to physical contact between hosts, may play a role in homogenizing symbiont assemblages within populations.     

A new species of the feather mite genus Titanolichus Gaud & Atyeo, 1996 (Acari: Astigmata: Pterolichidae) from the endangered orange-bellied parrot Neophema chrysogaster (Aves: Psittaciformes) from Australia

Abstract  Titanolichus seemani sp. n., a new species of the genus Titanolichus Gaud & Atyeo, 1996, is described from a museum skin of the endangered orange-bellied parrot Neophema chrysogaster (Latham) (Aves: Psittaciformes) from Australia. We also redescribe the type species Titanolichus chiragricus (Mégnin & Trouessart) from the ground parrot Pezoporus wallicus (Kerr), provide a key for all known species of Titanolichus and point out some problems in the systematics of this genus.     

A new genus and species of mite (Acari: Acaridae) from Mexico

Comerinia chuetolamina gen. & sp. nov. was collected from a cargo of dried Daphnia imported to Britain from Mexico. Females can be distinguished from all others described in the family Acaridae in that setae 14, 15 and d5 are flattened dorsoventrally over most of the basal half. This region appears blade-like, bearing numerous strong pectinations along the ventral side. Males may be recognized by a series of characters, some of which reflect a close relationship with Forcellinia Ouds., 1924 and others with Tyrophagus Ouds., 1924. The position of the new genus in a commonly used key to adults of the family Acaridae is indicated.     

New feather mites of the family Pterolichidae (Acari: Pterolichoidea) from parrots (Aves: Psittaciformes) in Australia

Abstract Seven new feather mite species of the family Pterolichidae are described from various Australian parrots: Apexolichus lathami sp. n. from the swift parrot, Lathamus discolor (Shaw); Titanolichus platycerci sp. n. and Rhytidelasma punctata sp. n. from the pale-headed rosella, Platycercus adscitus (Latham); R. striata sp. n. from the Australian king-parrot, Alisterus scapularis (Lichtenstein); Lorilichus stenolobus sp. n. and Lorilichus curvilobus sp. n. from the rainbow lorikeet, Trichoglossus haematodus (Linnaeus); Psittophagus galahi sp. n. from the galah, Eolophus roseicapillus (Vieillot). We give a brief overview of taxonomic studies of pterolichid mites living on Psittaciformes, and discuss the main diagnostic characters of different generic groups of these mites.     

Four new feather mite species of the genus Proctophyllodes Robin(Astigmata:Proctophyllodidae) from China

Four new species of the feather mite genus Proctophyllodes are described from the birds of the order Passeriformes in China:P.flexuosa sp.nov.from Eophona migratoria Hartert(Chongqing),P.brevis sp.nov.from Passer montanus(Linnaeus)(Anhui and Chongqing),P.garrula sp.nov.from Garrulax poecilorhynchus Gould(Anhui),P.canora sp.nov.from Garrulax canorus(Linnaeus)(Guizhou).     

Allocaeculus sandbergensis sp. n. (Acari: Caeculidae), a new prostigmatid mite from Slovakia

In January and in May 2012 three individuals (two adults and one nymph) from the genus Allocaeculus (family Caeculidae) were found in the area of the National nature reserve Devínska Kobyla near Sandberg (SW Slovakia). This mite family has not been recorded in Slovakia yet. Data about its nearest occurrence come from the Czech Republic and Austria. Based on the specimens, Allocaeculus sandbergensis sp. n. is described.     

Fusacarus australis sp. n., the first endemic species of Australian Glycyphagidae (Acari)

Abstract  Fusacarus australis sp. n. (Acari: Glycyphagidae) is described from specimens from tree holes and rainforest litter in Lamington National Park, Queensland. This is the first record of Fusacarus Michael from the Southern Hemisphere, and the first Australian native species of Glycyphagidae. A key to the world fauna of Fusacarus is provided.     

Two new species of the genus Syringophilopsis Kethley, 1970 (Acari: Syringophilidae) parasitizing quills of true shrikes (Aves: Laniidae)

Two new species of syringophilid mites (Acari: Syringophilidae) are described from quills of true shrikes (Passeriformes: Laniidae): Syringophilopsis kristini sp. n. from Lesser Grey Shrike, Lanius minor, from Slovakia, and Syringophiopsis yosefi sp. n. from Lanius sp. from Cameroun.     

Notoedres (Bakeracarus) coreanus sp. n. (Acari: Sarcoptidae), a new intranasal sarcoptid mite from Pipistrellus savii (Ognev) from Korea.

Notoedres (Bakeracarus) coreanus sp. n. from the mucosa of the nasal cavity of the swift bat, Pipistrellus savii (Ognev), is described. This sarcoptid mite is the third species of the subgenus Bakeracarus and is distinguished from other previously recognized species in having markedly reduced terminal setae on legs III and IV and in the presence of the sclerotized anal area. Unlike other members of this genus and the family Sarcoptidae, which are characteristically skin parasites, the new species is an intranasal parasite. The presence of greatly reduced whiplike terminal setae on legs III and IV and the general configuration of the body suggests the possibility of adaptive changes in structure to adjust to an intranasal mode of parasitism.     

A new species of Myxozoa, Henneguya rondoni n. sp. (Myxozoa), from the peripheral nervous system of the Amazonian fish, Gymnorhamphichthys rondoni (Teleostei)

Henneguya rondoni n. sp. found in the peripheral lateral nerves located below the two lateral lines of the fish Gymnorhamphichthys rondoni (Teleostei, Rhamphichthyidae) from the Amazon river is described using light and electron microscopy. Spherical to ellipsoid cysts measuring up to 110 microm in length contained only immature and mature spores located in close contact with the myelin sheaths of the nervous fibres. Ellipsoidal spores measured 17.7 (16.9-18.1)-microm long, 3.6 (3.0-3.9)-microm wide, and 2.5 (2.2-2.8)-microm (n=25) thick. The spore body measuring 7.0 (6.8-7.3)-microm long was formed by two equal symmetric valves, each with an equal tapering tail 10.7 (10.3-11.0) microm in length. The tails were composed of an internal dense material surrounded by an external homogeneous sheath of hyaline substance. The valves surrounded two equal pyriform polar capsules measuring 2.5 (2.2-2.8)-microm long and 0.85 (0.79-0.88)-microm (n=25) wide and a binucleated sporoplasm cell containing globular sporoplasmosomes 0.38 (0.33-0.42) microm (n=25) in diam. with an internal eccentric dense structure with half-crescent section. Each polar capsule contains an anisofilar polar filament with 6-7 turns obliquely to the long axis. The matrix of the polar capsule was dense and the wall filled with a hyaline substance. The spores differed from those of previously described species. Based on the ultrastructural morphology of the spore and specificity to the host species, we propose a new species name H. rondoni n. sp.     

A new mite superfamily (Acari: Cryptostigmata)

The new superfamily Eutegaeoidea (Acari: Cryptostigmata) is defined and subdivided into three families, viz. Eutegaeidae, Compactozetidae nov., Pterozetidae nov. The Eutegaeidae is considered to possess six genera ( Eutegaeus, Neoeutegaeus, Neseutegaeus, Pareutegaeus, Birotegaeus nov., Atalotegaeus nov.), the Pterozetidae three genera ( Pterozetes, Porrhotegaeus, Dudichella ), and the Compactozetidae four genera ( Compactozetes, Bornebuschia, Hamotegeus, Sadocepheus ). Keys are provided to all taxa down to species and Pareutegaeus similis (Trägardh, 1931) is redescribed from the lectotype.     

A new oribatid mite species of the genus Sphaerozetes (Acari,Ceratozetidae) from Vietnam

A new oribatid mite species, Sphaerozetes bugiamapensis sp. n., is described from the Bu Gia Map National Park (Vietnam). The genus Sphaerozetes is recorded from Vietnam for the first time.     

A new gamasid mite species, Haemogamasus limneticus sp. n. (Parasitiformes, Gamasoidea), from Kyrgyzstan

A new mite species from Kyrgyzstan, Haemogamasus limneticus sp. n. is described from the muskrat. Differential diagnoses of species of this genus from Kyrgyzstan are given.     

A new canestriniid mite,Bircericola bertrami n. g., n. sp. (Acari: Astigmata: Canestriniidae), parasitic on tenebrioniid beetles (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) from Tunisia

The new genus Bircericola (Acari: Astigmata: Canestriniidae) and new species Bircericola bertrami from undetermined tenebrioniid beetles from Tunisia are described. Diagnostic features include: dorsal integument covered by longitudinal lines; suture separating propodosoma from hysterosoma present; male adanal suckers well developed; two pairs of paranal setae in males and six pairs in females; tarsi I-II very short (<30 m); and solenidia I and II subequal in length to setae cG I and cG II, respectively.     

Rallinyssus sorae sp. n. (Acari: Dermanyssidae: rhinonyssinae) from the nasal passages of the sora, Porzana carolina (Aves: Rallidae)

Rallinyssus sorae sp. n. is described from the nasal turbinates of the sora, Porzana carolina, collected in Maryland and Ohio. The new species is most similar to Rallinyssus verheyeni Fain but differs in number of setae on the female ventral opisthosoma, structure of the fixed and movable digits of the male and female chelicerae, chaetotaxy of legs I to IV, and presence of a sternal plate in the male. The taxonomy and host-parasite relationships of the various species of Rallinyssus are discussed.