A new feather mite of the genus Pelargolichus (Acariformes: Pterolichidae) from the Oriental White Stork Ciconia boyciana (Ciconiiformes: Ciconiidae) in Japan

Abstract

A new feather mite Pelargolichus orientalis sp. nov. is described from the Oriental White Stork, Ciconia boyciana Swinhoe, 1873, one of the world’s most endangered bird species. This mite species was collected from feathers of the Oriental White Storks bred in the Tama Zoological Park in Japan. The native population of the Oriental White Stork and feather mites associated with this bird had been extinct in Japan since 1986. Wild individuals of this bird species were transported from the Eurasian Continent to Japanese breeding facilities, and in the 2000s, a small wild population was restored. The new mite species is presently distributed in natural fields in Japan along with its introduced host population. This study presents the first record of the feather mite genus Pelargolichus in Japan.