A new feather mite of the genus Megniniella (Acariformes: Analgidae) from the Common Crane Grus grus (Gruiformes: Gruidae)

Abstract

A new feather mite species, Megniniella gruophila sp. nov., is described from the Common Crane, Grus grus (Gruiformes: Gruidae), in the Stavropol Krai, European Russia, and this is the first record of the genus Megniniella from the family of cranes. The new species is most close to M. ratcliffi Mironov and Galloway, 2002 and readily differs from this species in having the following features: in both sexes, supracoxal setae scx are absent; in males, the scapular shield lacks suprategumental extensions, the hysteronotal shield bears longitudinal striae only in a small area anterior to the supranal concavity; in females, setae c3 are situated off the humeral shields, coxal setae 4b are situated posterior to the tips of the epigynum, setae e2 do not extend to the posterior margin of the opisthosoma. Taxonomic notes on the genus Megniniella and corrections of its species contents are provided. The genus was established by Gaud (1958) without designation of a type species; therefore, according to Article 13.3 of the current code of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN 1999), the authority and year of Megniniella should be referred to the subsequent paper where it was designated (Gaud & Mouchet 1959). Dimorphus calcaratus Haller, 1882, formerly included by Gaud (1968) in the genus Megniniella, is removed and placed in the genus Metanalges Trouessart, 1919 (Analgidae) with the new combination Metanalges (Agrialges) calcaratus (Haller, 1882) comb. nov. Megniniella porzanae Gaud, 1958 and M. limnocoracis Gaud and Mouchet, 1959, formerly synonymized by Gaud (1968) with Megniniella calcarata (Haller, 1882), are restored as valid species. The subspecies Megninia gallinulae maior Berlese, 1886, formerly referred by Hull (1934) to the genus Diplaegidia Hull, 1934 (Analgidae) and treated as a full species D. major, is transferred to the genus Megniniella with the new combination Megniniella maior (Berlese, 1886) comb. nov.