A new mite species of the genus Neottialges (Acariformes: Hypoderatidae) from the black stork Ciconia nigra (Ciconiiformes: Ciconiidae) in Portugal

Abstract

Deutonymphs of hypoderatid mites (Astigmata: Hypoderatidae) are subcutaneous parasites of various groups of birds and some rodents. A new hypoderatid mite species, Neottialges (Caloenectes) ciconiae n. sp., is described from the black stork, Ciconia nigra (Ciconiiformes: Ciconiidae), in Portugal. The new species is most similar to but differs from N. (C.) distinctus Fain and Lawrence, 1986 in having smaller prodorsal and hysteronotal shields not encompassing bases of setae si, se, cp, c2, e2 and h1, the area between genital papillae completely sclerotized and fused with sclerotized area of coxal fields III, IV, and by the absence of the postanal shield. A new combination, N. (C.) ellipticus (Nitzsch) n. comb. is proposed for Hypoderas ellipticus Nitzsch in: Giebel (1861), described from Ciconia alba Linnaeus and formerly treated as a species inquirenda.