Feather mites (Acariformes, Astigmata) from marine birds of the Barton Peninsula (King George Island, Antarctica), with descriptions of two new species.

Yeong-Deok Han,Gi-Sik Min,Sergey V Mironov,Jeong-Hoon Kim

doi:10.3897/zookeys.1061.71212

Yeong-Deok Han, Gi-Sik Min + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1061.71212

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Abstract

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 Stercorariusmaccormicki Saunders (Stercorariidae), and Ingrassiachionissp. nov. (Xolalgidae) from Chionisalbus (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.

Highlights

Feather mites (Astigmata, Analgoidea and Pterolichoidea) are a vast group of highly specialized parasites or mutualistic ectosymbionts that spend their entire life cycle on their bird hosts (Gaud and Atyeo 1996; Dabert and Mironov 1999; Proctor 2003)
We report seven analgoid feather mites, including descriptions of two new species from the genera Alloptes and Ingrassia, found on four bird species on the Barton Peninsula of King George Island
Zachvatkinia hydrobatidii is very close to Z. oceanodromae Mironov, 1989 associated with storm petrels of the genus Oceanodroma, and differs in having the following features: in males, the genital arch is shaped as a completely closed ring, and the distance between setae ps1 and h3 is less than 40; in females, the posterior margin of the opisthosoma between the terminal extensions is not sclerotized, and setae e1 are situated on the inner margins of the lateral hysteronotal shields (Mironov 1989)

Summary

Introduction

Feather mites (Astigmata, Analgoidea and Pterolichoidea) are a vast group of highly specialized parasites or mutualistic ectosymbionts that spend their entire life cycle on their bird hosts (Gaud and Atyeo 1996; Dabert and Mironov 1999; Proctor 2003).

Results

Conclusion