Neoaulonastus Skoracki, 2004

Skoracki, Maciej, 2011, Quill mites (Acari: Syringophilidae) of the Palaearctic region 2840, Zootaxa 2840 (1), pp. 1-414 : 112

Genus Neoaulonastus Skoracki, 2004

Dissonus Skoracki, 1999: 155 (preoc.).

Neoaulonastus Skoracki 2004: 445 .

Type species: Syringophilus bisetatus Fritsch, 1958 by original designation.

Diagnosis. FEMALE. Small to medium-sized syringophilids, total body length 455–650. Gnathosoma . Hypostomal apex rounded, without protuberances. Two pairs of large, sausage-like hypostomal lips present. Lateral hypostomal teeth absent. Peritremes M-shaped. Movable cheliceral digit edentate. Stylophore rounded posteriorly. Idiosoma . Five pairs of propodonotal setae present (vi —absent), arranged 2–1–2 or 2–1–1–1. Propodonotal shield entire, rectangular in shape, without pocket-like structures, bearing bases of setae ve, si, and c1, setae se situated on or near this shield. Setae c1 and se situated at same transverse level or setae c1 located slightly anterior to level of setae se. Hysteronotal shield present or absent, fused or not to pygidial shield. Setae d1 closer to d2 than to e2. All idiosomal setae smooth. Each pseudanal and genital setal series represented by 2 pairs. Aggenital series with 3 pairs of setae. Hysteronotal setae d1, d2 and e2 long or short. Terminal setae f2 long or short, h2 long, f1 and h1 short. Legs. Legs I–IV subequal in thicknes and size. Antaxial and paraxial members of claw pair subequal in size and shape, without basal angle. Apodemes I parallel, not fused to apodemes II. Setae dTIII–IV absent.

MALE. Characteristics as in female except: total body lengths 350–460; setal pattern of propodonotal region arranged 2–1–1–1; propodonotal setae se situated anterior to level of setae c1; 2 pairs of aggenital present (ag3 absent); hysteronotal setae d1, d2 and e2 short; setae f2 short, h2 short or long; apodemes I parallel or slightly divergent.

Host range. Mites of this genus are mainly associated with passeriform birds belonging to the families Aegithalidae , Hirundinidae , Remizidae , Sturnidae , Sylviidae (from the Palaearctic region), and Zosteropidae (Ethiopian region). Two species were found on piciform birds of the family Picidae (Table 8).

Habitat. Quills of secondary, tertrialy, alular, covert, tail and body feathers.

Species included. At present, the world fauna includes 8 species known from the Palaerctic (6 species), Ethiopian (1) and Oriental (1) regions. The Palaearctic fauna includes: N. bisetatus comb. nov., N. aegithalos sp. nov., N. caligatus sp. nov., N. picidus sp. nov., N. riparius sp. nov., and N. remizus sp. nov. The species N. scirpaceus syn. nov. described by Skoracki (1999) from Acrocephalus scirpaceus is a junior synonym of N. bisetatus .

TABLE 8. Distribution of Neoaulonastus spp. on hosts