Two new feather mites of the genus Proctophyllodes (Acari: Proctophyllodidae) from passerines of China (Aves: Passeriformes)

Abstract

Two new species of the feather mite genus Proctophyllodes (Analgoidea: Proctophyllodidae) are described from two passerine birds (Passeriformes) in China: Proctophyllodes scleroticus sp. nov. from the Brandt's Mountain Finch Leucosticte brandti pallidior (Fringillidae) and P. micrurus sp. nov. from the White-rumped Snow Finch Onychostruthus taczanowskii (Passeridae). Proctophyllodes scleroticus sp. nov. belongs to the tricetratus species-group, and differs from the most similar species P. petroniae Atyeo & Braasch, 1966 by the following characters: in male, the genital sheath is heavily sclerotized, peach shaped, and extending to the level of setae g, anal suckers are surrounded with a pair of membranes, and terminal lamella is relatively greater, and in female, lobar shield is divided into two independent shields by the anal opening and anal opening extends beyond the level of setae ps1, terminal appendage is long. Proctophyllodes micrurus sp. nov. belongs to the musicus species-group, and differs from the most similar species P. saltatoris Atyeo & Braasch, 1966 by the following characters: in male, genital arch and the anterior part of opisthogastric shield are about the same width, anal suckers are surrounded with a pair of membranes, genital organ extends to the anterior 1/3 of the level of setae g and setae ps3, terminal lamella are located closely to each other and slightly greater, and in female, lobar shields are medially divided into two halves, terminal appendages are small, about 1/10 of setae h3, edge of the cleft is almost horizontal.