Three new species of quill mites (Acari: Syringophilidae) parasitizing the wrens (Aves: Troglodytidae)
Author
Sikora, Bozena
Author
Fajfer, Monika
Author
Kavetska, Katarzyna
Author
Skoracki, Maciej
text
Zootaxa
2012
3167
57
65
journal article
45603
10.5281/zenodo.212830
9b54bf38-204c-43df-8134-095601bd66a1
1175-5326
212830
Genus
Aulonastus
Kethley
The genus
Aulonastus
comprises 12 species associated with passeriform birds of the families
Cardinalidae
,
Emberizidae
,
Fringillidae
,
Icteridae
,
Laniidae
,
Motacillidae
,
Muscicapidae
,
Prunellidae
, and
Troglodytidae
(a new host family for this genus). Mites of this genus occupy broad spectrum of the microhabitats. They have been found inside feather quills of secondaries, coverts and body feathers. To this time, the members of the genus
Aulonastus
have been known only from the Nearctic and Palaearctic regions (
Skoracki
et al
. 2010a
; Skoracki 2011). Below we give a description of a new species from material collected in
Ecuador
(the Neotropical region).