Aulonastus Kethley, 1970

Skoracki, Maciej, 2011, Quill mites (Acari: Syringophilidae) of the Palaearctic region 2840, Zootaxa 2840 (1), pp. 1-414 : 136-137

Genus Aulonastus Kethley, 1970

Aulonastus Kethley, 1970: 47

Type species: Aulonastus pipili Kethley, 1970 by original designation.

Diagnosis. FEMALE. Small sized mites, total body length 450–600. Gnathosoma . Hypostomal apex rounded. Two pairs of sausage-like hypostomal lips present. Lateral hypostomal teeth absent. Peritremes M-shaped. Movable cheliceral digit edentate. Stylophore rounded posteriorly. Idiosoma . Five pairs of propodonotal setae present (vi — absent), arranged 2–1–2. Propodonotal shield entire, without pocket-like structures, bearing bases of setae ve, si and c1, setae se situated on or near this shield. Setae c1 and se situated at same transverse level or setae c1 located slightly anterior to level of setae se. Hysteronotal shield fused or not to pygidial shield. Hysteronotal setae d2 long, d1 and e2 short. Setae d1 closer to d2 than to e2. Terminal setae f2 long or short, h2 long, f1 and h1 short. All idiosomal setae smooth. Pseudanal setal series represented by 1 pair (ps2 absent). Genital setal series represented by 2 pairs. Genital plate present or absent. Aggenital series with 3 pairs of setae. Legs. Legs I–IV subequal in thicknes and size. Antaxial and paraxial members of claw pair subequal in size and shape, without basal angle. Apodemes I parallel, not fused with apodemes II. Legs setae l’RI, l’RII, dTIII and dTIV absent.

MALE. Characteristics as in female except: total body lengths 300–380; 2 pairs of aggenital present (ag3 absent); hysteronotal setae d1, d2 and e2 short; setae f2 short, h2 short or long; apodemes I slightly divergent.

Host range. Species of this genus are associated with passeriform birds of the families Cardinalidae , Emberizidae , Fringillidae , Icteridae , Laniidae , Motacillidae , Muscicapidae , and Prunellidae ( Table 10).

*—Palaearctic species; **— type host; p.p.—present paper. Habitat. Quills of secondary, covert and body feathers.

Species included. This genus includes 12 species known from birds of the Nearctic (5 species) and the Palaearctic (7) regions. The Palaearctic fauna comprises: A. albus , A. anthus sp. nov., A. fringillus sp. nov., A. lanius sp. nov., A. loxius sp. nov., A. lusciniae , A. prunellae .