Two new feather mites of the subfamily Proctophyllodinae (Acariformes: Proctophyllodidae) from the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Empidonax flaviventris (Passeriformes: Tyrannidae) in Canada

Sergey V Mironov,Terry D Galloway

doi:10.24349/acarologia/20204407

Abstract

Two new feather mite species, Nycteridocaulus sulcatus sp. n. and Tyranniphyllodes empidonicus sp. n. (Astigmata: Proctophyllodidae), are described from the Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Empidonax flaviventris (Passeriformes: Tyrannidae), in Canada. The clearest distinguishing characteristic of N. sulcatus is the structure of the supranal concavity in males, which is parallel-sided, heavily sclerotized and opened posteriorly. Tyranniphyllodes empidonicus readily differs from the only previously known species, T. pitangi Hernandes et al. 2007, by the absence of setae d1 in both sexes and in having strongly elongated epimerites IVa and the genital sheath in males not extending to the tip of the aedeagus, and long anterolateral extensions of the prodorsal shield in females. This is the first record of the genus Tyranniphyllodes in North America.

Highlights

Feather mites (Astigmata: Analgoidea and Pterolichoidea) are permanent and highly specialized commensals and parasites of birds living mainly on the plumage of their hosts and on the skin and in the respiratory tracts (Gaud and Atyeo 1996; Dabert and Mironov 1999; Proctor and Owens 2000; Proctor 2003)
The present paper continues the series of our taxonomic work on feather mites in Canada (Mironov and Galloway 2002, 2003, 2006, 2014, 2019), and we present descriptions of two species of the family Proctophyllodidae found on the Yellowbellied Flycatcher, Empidonax flaviventris (Baird & Baird, 1843) (Passeriformes: Tyrannidae)
Drawings and measurements were made with Leica microscopes (DM2500, Leica Microsystems, Inc.) equipped with differential interference contrast optics (DIC) and a camera lucida

Summary

Introduction

Feather mites (Astigmata: Analgoidea and Pterolichoidea) are permanent and highly specialized commensals and parasites of birds living mainly on the plumage of their hosts and on the skin and in the respiratory tracts (Gaud and Atyeo 1996; Dabert and Mironov 1999; Proctor and Owens 2000; Proctor 2003).

Results

Conclusion