Vireodectes, Mironov, Sergey, Literak, Ivan, Hung, Nguyen Manh & Capek, Miroslav, 2012

Mironov, Sergey, Literak, Ivan, Hung, Nguyen Manh & Capek, Miroslav, 2012, New feather mites of the subfamily Pterodectinae (Acari: Proctophyllodidae) from passerines and woodpeckers (Aves: Passeriformes and Piciformes) in Vietnam, Zootaxa 3440, pp. 1-49 : 41-42

Genus Vireodectes gen. n.

Type species: Vireodectes erporni sp. n., by original designation.

Diagnosis. BOTH SEXES. Moderately elongated pterodectines. Vertical setae ve rudimentary, represented by alveoli. Setae c1 absent. Prodorsal shield covering most of prodorsum, split by transverse band of soft cuticle at level of scapular setae se, si into anterior and posterior parts. Scapular shields narrow. Humeral shields present. Setae c2 situated dorso-laterally on striated tegument. Legs I, II subequal in size. Setae wa anterior to setae la and ra on tarsi I, II. Seta gT of tibia I in proximal part of segment. Setae cG and mG on genua I, II setiform. Solenidion σ 1 of genu I distinctly shorter than solenidion ω 3 of tarsus I. Femora II with ventral crests. Solenidion σ of genu III absent. Supranal concavity well expressed.

MALE. Epimerites I fused into a narrow Y with short sternum, posterior end of sternum with lateral extensions not connected to epimerites II. Coxal fields I, II, IV open; coxal fields III closed, surface of coxal fields I–IV without extensive sclerotized areas. Opisthosomal lobes small, narrowed apically, approximately as long as wide, with membranous posterior ends. Terminal cleft as a narrow inverted U. Setae h3, whip–like, slightly distant from membraneous posterior margin of opisthosomal lobes. Setae h1 situated anterior to bases of opisthosomal lobes. Setae ps1 filiform, minute. Genital arch approximately at midlevel of trochanters IV, with well developed branches; aedeagus whip–like, comparable in length to idiosoma, aedeagus running backward immediately from its apex. Genital papillae situated anterior to branches of genital arch. Paragenital apodemes, genital shield and other sclerotized structures around genital apparatus absent. Opisthoventral shields narrow. Corolla of anal suckers with indentations; suckers surrounded by verrucous membrane. Adanal shields absent. Setae ps3 anterior to anal suckers. Setae g and ps 3 in high-trapezoid arrangement. Legs III and IV subequal in size. Tarsus IV without distinct apical process, setae d and e button-like.

FEMALE. Epimerites I touching by posterior ends or fused into a V. Lobar region of opisthosoma clearly separated from remaining part of opisthosoma, but remain connected ventrolaterally; opisthosomal lobes well developed, with long terminal appendages. Hysteronotal shield split into anterior and lobar shields. Macrosetae h2 spindle-like. Epigynum horseshoe-shaped, large. Apodemes of oviporus connected with epimerites IIIa. Translobar apodemes present. Setae ps2, ps3 filiform, arranged in trapezium. Genua III, IV without dorsal inflation. Solenidia φ of tibiae IV much shorter than on tibiae III.

Hosts. Passeriformes : Vireonidae : Erpornis .

Differential diagnosis. The new genus is very close to the genus Proterothrix by having almost an complete set of idiosomal setae in both sexes, closed coxal fields III and the genital papillae situated anterior to genital arch in males. Vireodectes gen. n. is distinguished from Proterothrix by the following features: in both sexes, idiosomal setae c1 and solenidion σ of genu III are absent; in males, the adanal shields are absent, and the opisthosomal lobes are small and for the most part are poorly sclerotized, resembling membranes. In both sexes of the genus Proterothrix , solenidion σ of genu III is always present, and setae c1 are also present (with exception of one species); in males, the adanal shields are present (one or two pairs), the dorsal surface of opisthosomal lobes is heavily sclerotized and only the terminal or inner margin of them is sometimes membranous.

Etymology. The generic name is a combination of the Vireonidae host family and the Pterodectes feather mite genus.