Picineoaulonastus, Skoracki, Maciej, Klimovičová, Miroslava, Muchai, Muchane & Hromada, Martin, 2014

Skoracki, Maciej, Klimovičová, Miroslava, Muchai, Muchane & Hromada, Martin, 2014, New taxa of the family Syringophilidae (Acari: Prostigmata) from African barbets and woodpeckers (Piciformes: Lybiidae, Picidae), Zootaxa 3768 (2), pp. 178-188 : 179

Genus Picineoaulonastus gen. nov.

Type species: Picineoaulonastus pogoniulus sp. nov.

Diagnosis. FEMALE. Small-sized syringophilids (total body length 465–520µm). Gnathosoma . Hypostomal apex rounded, without protuberances. Lateral hypostomal teeth absent. Peritremes M-shaped with clearly visible chambers, lateral and medial branches with small number of chambers. Movable cheliceral digit edentate. Stylophore rounded posteriorly. Idiosoma . Six pairs of propodonotal setae present, arranged 2–1–1–2. Propodonotal shield entire, rectangular in shape, without pocket-like structures. Setae d1 situated closer to d2 than to e2. All idiosomal setae smooth. Each pseudanal and genital series represented by 2 pairs of setae. Aggenital series with 3 pairs of setae. Legs. Legs I thicker than legs II–IV. Antaxial and paraxial members of claw pair subequal in size and shape, without basal angle-like extension. Apodemes I parallel, not fused to apodemes II. Setae dTIII–IV absent.

MALE. Unknown.

Differential diagnosis. This genus Picineoaulonastus gen. nov. is morphologically close to Neoaulonastus Skoracki, 2004 . In females of both genera, the movable cheliceral digits are edentate; the stylophore is rounded posteriorly; apodemes I are parallel and not fused to apodemes II, and setae dTIII–IV are absent. This new genus differs from Neoaulonastus by the characters as follows: in females of Picineoaulonastus , propodonotal setae vi are present and legs I are thicker than legs II–IV. In females of Neoaulonastus , propodonotal setae vi are absent and legs I–IV are subequal in thickness.

Habitat, host range and distribution. Mites of this genus live in quills of wing coverts and body feathers of African barbets ( Piciformes , Lybiidae ) in the Ethiopian region ( Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia).

Species included. Monotypic genus.

Etymology. This generic name refers to the host order—Piciformes and the closely related mite genus Neoaulonastus .