Abstract
Unrelated taxa of feather mites use exuviae of their own, or closely related, species for molting within quills or on feather surfaces of diverse groups of birds. On the Orange-fronted Conure (Aratinga canicularis (L.)) and other parrot species, feather mites and mallophagan eggs coinhabit the same feather area, mites molt within the exuviae of other mites within the mallophagan egg shells. Molting within exuviae and within egg shells are examples of thanatochresis (the use of dead parts of one animal by living individuals of a second species, but not for food); this phenomenon may be common among feather mites and other Astigmata. Thanatochresis (from the Greek thanatos, death; and chresis, use) is the utilization of ca- davers, secretions, skeletal pieces, excrements and other products of one species by living individ- uals of a second species, but not for food (Mar- galef, 1977). A familiar example would be the use of shells of univalve mollusks by hermit crabs (Paguridae). Under special circumstances, the definition should be modified to include utili- zation of cadavers by living individuals of the same or different species, but not for food. Quill inhabiting feather mites (Syringobiidae: Syringobiinae) molt within exuviae of their own species as do species of Pyroglyphidae. A few feather mites living outside the quills also molt within the exuviae of their own species, an event often taking place within egg shells of feather lice (Mallophaga). Egg shells and/or exuviae are ap- parently not necessary in the life cycles of the mites; thus, the mites are opportunistic and the phenomenon might be termed facultative than- atochresis. When feather mites molt, the ecdysial line is Y-shaped with the stem of the Y beginning near the prodorsal shield and the arms of the Y di-
Published Version
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