One New and One Previously Unreported Nasal Mite (Acarina, Speleognathinae) from North American Birds, with Observations on Speleognathid Taxonomy

Abstract

Neoboydaia colymbiformi sp. n. from the Eared Grebe (Colymbus nigricollis californicus) is described and Neoboydaia philomachi (Fain, 1955) n. comb. is reported from shorebirds (Totanus melanoleucus, Totanus flavipes, and Pisobia melanotos) in the United States. The two acarine species are compared morphologically, and the validity of the number of palpal segments is questioned as a subgeneric character. Recently there has been considerable major revision in the taxonomy of the Speleognathinae (Fain, 1958; Fain, 1962; Fain, 1963). In the latest classification 8 genera and 10 subgenera are diagnosed, making a total of 18 genusgroup concepts in a relatively small subfamily (Fain, 1963). The primary generic characters in this scheme are the presence or absence of dorsal eyes and shields, the number of palpal segments, and chaetotaxy. This arrangement adequately categorizes the Speleognathinae with certain minor exceptions. To further stabilize the taxonomy of the group, a new species is described herein and compared morphologically with a closely related species. By this comparison the validity of the number of palpal segments as a subgeneric character is questioned. In addition the importance of chaetotaxy in furnishing generic characters is emphasized. Neoboydaia colymbiformi sp. n.