Feather mites (Acari: Astigmata) of the Zoobotanical State Park in Teresina, Brazil

Abstract

Feather mites are the most diverse avian ectoparasites. They mainly live on the plumage of birds, feeding on uropygial oil, and may occasionally cause skin irritation, especially on caged birds. Here we report the results of a survey of feather mites on wild birds of the Zoobotanical State Park of Teresina, Piauí, Brazil. The following mites were collected from seven bird specimens kept in the park from January to July 2017: Pandionacarus fuscus (Nitzsch, 1818) on the osprey (Pandion haliaetus); Freyana dendrocygni Dubinin, 1950 and Heterobrephosceles megathrix Peterson and Atyeo, 1977 on the white-faced whistling-duc (Dendrocygna viduata); Nyctibiolichus megamerus Atyeo, 1979 on the common potoo (Nyctibius griseus); Hieracolichus hirundo (Mégnin and Trouessart, 1884) on the harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja) and Hieracolichus sp. on the southern caracara (Caracara plancus). These findings increase the known ranges of the mite species, with four of them reported for the first time in Brazil.