Megasyringophilus Fain, Bochkov and Mironov, 2000

Skoracki, Maciej, 2011, Quill mites (Acari: Syringophilidae) of the Palaearctic region 2840, Zootaxa 2840 (1), pp. 1-414 : 221-222

Genus Megasyringophilus Fain, Bochkov and Mironov, 2000

Megasyringophilus Fain et al., 2000: 35 .

Type species: Megasyringophilus kethleyi Fain et al., 2000 by original designation.

Diagnosis. FEMALE. Large-sized syringophilids, total body length 950–1350. Gnathosoma . Hypostomal apex rounded or ornamented by 1–3 pairs of protuberances. Lateral hypostomal teeth absent. Peritremes M-shaped, with clearly visible chambers. Movable cheliceral digit harpoon-like, each with 2–3 teeth. Stylophore rounded or slightly constricted posteriorly. Idiosoma . All idiosomal setae smooth. Six pairs of propodonotal setae present, arranged 2–3–1 or 3–1–1–1. Propodonotal shield entire, without pocket-like structures, bearing bases of setae vi, ve, si and c1. Hysteronotal shield present or absent, if present fused to pygidial shield. Hysteronotal setae d1, d2 and e2 long. Setae d1 closer to d2 than to e2. All terminal setae f1, f2, h1 and h2 long. Each of pseudanal and genital setal series represented by 2 pairs. Aggenital series with 3 pairs of setae. Legs. Legs I–IV subequal in thickness. Antaxial and paraxial members of claw pair subequal in size and shape, basal angle present or absent. Apodemes I divergent, indistinctly fused to apodemes II, both apodemes dissimilar in size and shape. Legs with full complement of setae.

MALE. Characteristics as in female except: total body length 860–1120; hypostomal apex rounded unornamented; movable cheliceral digit styletiform, edentate; setae d2 variable in length, d1 and e2 short; setal pattern of propodonotal region arranged 2–3–1 or 3–2–1; setae f2 short, h2 long; 2 pairs of aggenital setae present (ag3 absent).

Host range. Most of species of this genus (8 species) are associated with parrots ( Psittaciformes ) and only one species has been reported from diurnal raptors (Accipitrididae) ( Table 13).

Habitat. Quills of secondary and body feathers.

Species included. At present, this genus includes 9 species recorded from the Palaearctic (1) Neotropical (2), Australian (3), Oriental (4), and Ethiopian (1) regions. The Palaearctic fauna comprises only M. aquilus .

*—Palaearctic species; **— type host; p.p.—present paper.