Betasyringophiloidus, Skoracki, 2011

Skoracki, Maciej, 2011, Quill mites (Acari: Syringophilidae) of the Palaearctic region 2840, Zootaxa 2840 (1), pp. 1-414 : 86

Genus Betasyringophiloidus gen. nov.

Type species: Betasyringophiloidus phoenicurus sp. nov. designated here.

Description. FEMALE. Medium-sized syringophilids (total body length 570–820). Gnathosoma . Hypostomal apex rounded, without protuberances. Lateral hypostomal teeth absent. Peritremes M-shaped with clearly visible chambers, medial branch of peritremes with 4–6 bead-like chambers, lateral branch with 6–9 chambers. Movable cheliceral digit edentate. Stylophore rounded posteriorly. Idiosoma . Six pairs of discernible ornamented propodonotal setae arranged 2–1–1–2. Propodonotal shield entire and rectangular in shape, without pocket-like structures, bearing bases of setae vi, ve, si, c1 and se. Hysteronotal shield fused to pygidial shield. Hysteronotal setae d1, d2 and e2 long. Setae d1 closer to d2 than to e2. Terminal setae f2 and h2 long, f1 and h1 short. Pseudanal setal series with 1 pair of setae (ps2 —absent). Genital setal series represented by 2 pairs of setae. Aggenital series with 3 pairs of setae. Genital plate present. Legs. Legs I thicker than II-IV. Antaxial and paraxial members of claw pair subequal in size and shape, without basal angle. Apodemes I parallel, not fused to apodemes II. Setae dGII and vsII absent.

MALE. Characteristics as in female except: total body length 400–605; all setae on propodonotum smooth; setal pattern of propodonotal region arranged 2–1–1–1–1; hysteronotal shield present or absent, if present not fused to pygidial shied; hysteronotal setae short; setae f2 short, h2 long; 2 pairs of aggenital setae present (ag3 absent); apodemes I divergent.

Differential diagnosis. This genus is morphologically closely related to Syringophiloidus . In females of both genera, the apodemes of legs I are parallel and not fused to apodemes II; leg setae dGII and vsII are absent. Betasyringophiloidus differs from Syringophiloidus by the presence of one pair of the pseudanal setae in both sexes. Members of the genus Syringophiloidus possess by two pairs of the pseudanal setae in both sexes.

Etymology. The name Betasyringophiloidus refers to the closely related genus— Syringophiloidus

Host range. Mites of this genus are associated with passeriform birds of the families: Emberizidae , Motacillidae , and Muscicapidae ( Table 6).

Habitat. Quills of secondaries and coverts.

Species included. At present, 4 species (including 2 new species described here) inhabiting Palaearctic hosts are known: B. motacillae comb. nov., B. phoenicurus sp. nov., B. saxicolus sp. nov., and B. schoeniclus comb. nov. ( Table 6).