Three new species of feather mite of the genus Proterothrix Gaud, 1968 (Analgoidea: Proctophyllodidae: Pterodectinae) from passerines in Meghalaya, North East India.

Abstract

Three new species of the feather mite subfamily Pterodectinae Park & Atyeo, 1971 are described from passerines of the family Muscicapidae Fleming and Leiothrichidae Swainson in India (Meghalaya, East Jaintia Hills District): Proterothrix daberti n. sp. from the White-tailed Robin Cinclidium leucurum (Hodgson), P. khahnarensis n. sp. from the Blue Whistling-Thrush Myophonus caeruleus (Scopoli) (Passeriformes: Muscicapidae) and P. indica n. sp. from the Nepal Fulvetta Alcippe nipalensis (Hodgson) (Passeriformes: Leiothrichidae). P. daberti and P. khahnarensis belong to the megacaula species group and differ from one another (and from the third species belonging to the group) in having a distinct ornamentation of dorsal shields in both sexes: with small ovate and circular lacunae in P. daberti and with big ovate lacunae in P. khahnarensis. Proterothrix indica belongs to the paradoxornis species complex (wolffi species group) and differs from the other four species of the complex in having the lateral margins of prodorsal shield with incisions extending to bases of setae se in both sexes. Males of this species have opisthosomal lobes with acute apices.