Two new species of feather mites (Acari: Psoroptidia) from the Rusty-capped Fulvetta, Schoeniparus dubius (Passeriformes: Pellorneidae) in India

Abstract

Two new species of feather mites are described from the Rusty-capped Fulvetta Schoeniparus dubius (Hume) (Passeriformes: Pellorneidae) in India (Meghalaya): Proterothrix manolelii Constantinescu sp. n. (Proctophyllodidae: Pterodectinae) and Trouessartia asiatica Constantinescu sp. n. (Trouessartiidae). Proterothrix manolelii belongs to the paradoxornis complex (wolffi species group) in having, in males, seta e of tarsus I lanceolate and the aedeagus long and whip-shaped. Among the other six species of the paradoxornis complex, this species appears to be closest to P. alcippeae Mironov, Literak, Hung & Capek, 2012 from the Rufous-throated Fulvetta, Schoeniparus rufogularis (Mandelli) (Passeriformes: Pellorneidae). Males of Proterothrix manolelii are distinguished from the latter in having the pentagonal structure formed by epimerites of propodosoma completely closed, the opisthosomal lobes almost three times longer than wide at base, and setae mGI and mGII lanceolate. Females of P. manolelii have the sternum about 1/3 of the total length of epimerites I, and the primary spermaduct is thickened only in distal 1/3. Trouessartia asiatica is the first species of the genus described from a bird host in the family Pellorneidae. Males of T. asiatica are clearly differentiated from related species described from birds in the family Leiotrichidae (T. cyanouropterae Constantinescu, 2016, T. alcippeae Constantinescu, 2016, and T. pauciseta Constantinescu, Chișamera, Motoc, Gustafsson, Zou, Chu and Adam, 2021), in the position and shape of the genital setae g, which are enlarged in basal 2/3rd and located far distantly from the base of genital apparatus, posterior to bases of setae 4a. Females of this species are clearly distinguished in the shape of the primary spermaduct, which is thickened along its entire length.