Neopicobia, Skoracki, 2011

Skoracki, Maciej, 2011, Quill mites (Acari: Syringophilidae) of the Palaearctic region 2840, Zootaxa 2840 (1), pp. 1-414 : 383

Genus Neopicobia gen. nov.

Type species: Picobia anthi Fritsch, 1958 designated here.

Diagnosis. NON-PHYSOGASTRIC FEMALE. Small to medium-sized syringophilids (total body length 470– 570). Gnathosoma . Hypostomal apex truncate. Lateral hypostomal teeth absent. Peritremes M-shaped, with weakly visible chambers in lateral branch. Movable cheliceral digits edentate. Stylophore rounded posteriorly. Idiosoma . Dorsal propodonotal setae lightly beaded. Six pairs of propodonotal setae present, arranged 2–1–1–2, setae vi situated anterior to level of setae ve. Propodonotal shield entire and shirt-like bearing all propodonotal setae except c2, or divided into 3 sclerites, 2 lateral shields bearing bases of setae and 1 large unpaired median shield bearing bases of setae vi, ve and c1. Hysteronotal shield present or absent. Hysteronotal setae long. Setae d1 situated closer to e2 than to d2. Pygidial shield present. Terminal setae f1, f2 and h1 short, setae h2 long. Alveoles of setae 1a–1a and 3a–3a not coalesced. Genital setae absent. Pseudanal series with 2 pairs of setae. Aggenital series with 3 pairs of setae. Aggenital plate absent. Genital plate present or absent. Genital lobes absent. Legs. Legs I and II thicker than III and IV. Apodemes slightly divergent without thorn-like protuberances in middle part. Solenidiotaxy without solenidia phi on tibiae I. Antaxial and paraxial members of claw pair subequal in size and shape.

PHYSOGASTRIC FEMALE. Medium-sized mites (total body length 520–580). Body bulb-shaped outline.

MALE. Features as in females except: small sized mites (total body length 430); hysteronotal shield present, not fused to pygidial shield; hysteronotal setae d2 long, d1 and e2 short; terminal setae f2 short, h2 long; pseudanal, genital and aggenital setal series represented by 2 pairs.

Etymology. The name Neopicobia is compilation of Neo (gr. new) and Picobia .

Differential diagnosis. This genus is morphologically similar to the genus Rafapicobia gen. nov. and is distinguished by the presence of 1 pair of the pseudanal setae.

Host range. The most species of this genus are associated mainly with hosts of the order Passeriformes : Acanthizidae , Cardinalidae , Fringillidae , Meliphagidae , Motacillidae , Prunellidae , Sylviidae and Troglodytidae . Two species have been recorded from non passeriform birds: Colubiformes ( Columbidae ) and Psittaciformes (Psittacidae) . In the Palaearctic region these mites are known only from passerines of the families listed in Table 27.

Habitat. Quills of body feathers.

Species included. At present, this genus includes 10 species known, from the Palaerctic (3 species), Ethiopian (1), Australian (3) and Nearctic (4) regions. All these species are listed in Table 27. The Palaearctic fauna comprises 3 species: N. anthi comb. nov., N. modularis comb. nov. and N. locustella comb. nov.