Eliza Glowska

New Wolbachia supergroups detected in quill mites (Acari: Syringophilidae).

Wolbachia is the most abundant intracellular bacterial genus infecting a wide range of arthropods and filarial nematodes. Wolbachia have evolved parasitic, mutualistic and commensal relationships with their hosts but in arthropods generally act as reproductive parasites, inducing a wide range of phenotypic effects such as cytoplasmic incompatibility, parthenogenesis, feminization and male-killing. Up to now, the genus has been divided into 14 supergroups successively named A-O. Here, we describe two new Wolbachia supergroups from syringophilid mites (Acari: Cheyletoidea). These obligatory ectoparasites of birds inhabit the quills of feathers in many avian groups. The species of this family reproduce in a haplodiploid mode sensu arrhenotoky and are usually strongly female-biased. Based on the sequences of four protein-coding genes (ftsZ, gltA and groEL and coxA) and the 16S rRNA we identified strains of three Wolbachia supergroups (F and two distinct, yet undescribed ones) in five quill mite species. Our results suggest that in some cases the distribution of the bacteria can be better correlated with the mites bird host rather than with mite taxonomy as such. The discovery of two new Wolbachia supergroups not only broadens the knowledge of the diversity of this bacterium but also raises questions about potential effects induced in quill mites and transmission mechanisms of the endosymbionts in this peculiar bacteria-quill mite-bird system.

New quill mites (Cheyletoidea: Syringophilidae) parasitizing the black-headed paradise-flycatcher Terpsiphone rufiventer (Passeriformes: Monarchidae) in Gabon

A new genus of quill mites (Cheyletoidea: Syringophilidae) and two new species Pipicobia terpsiphoni gen. nov. and sp. nov. and Syringophiloidus furthi sp. nov. parasitizing the black-headed paradise-flycatcher Terpsiphone rufiventer (Swainson) (Passeriformes: Monarchidae) in Gabon are described. Three species of the Neopicobia Skoracki, 2011 are moved to the newly established genus: Pipicobia locustella (Skoracki, Bochkov and Wauthy, 2004) comb. nov., Pipicobia pyrrholaemus (Skoracki and Glowska, 2008) comb.nov., and Pipicobia glossopsitta (Skoracki, Glowska and Sikora, 2008) comb.nov. Syringophilids are recorded on hosts of the family Monarchidae and in Gabon for the first time. A key to the genera of the subfamily Picobiinae is proposed.

Checklist of the Quill mites (Acariformes: Syringophilidae) of the World.

Mites of the family Syringophilidae (Acariformes: Cheyletoidea) are ectoparasites inhabiting the quills of various feather types in many groups of birds. Until now, 334 valid species and 60 genera of quill mites have been described and recorded from 482 bird species (95 families and 24 orders). Currently, the family is divided into 2 subfamilies: Syringophilinae Lavoipierre, 1953 with 260 species grouped in 49 genera, and Picobinae Johnston and Kethley, 1973 with 74 species grouped in 11 genera. Mites of the subfamily Syringophilinae inhabit quills of primaries, secondaries, tertials, rectrices and wing coverts and just occasionally the body feathers; representatives of the subfamily Picobinae live predominantly inside the body feathers. The rapid increase of the knowledge on biodiversity and systematics of quill mites started in end of the 1990s; numerous new descriptions appeared since that time and taxonomic rearrangements make an urgent need to summarize all previous data. We present a complete checklist of the family Syringophilidae of the world including the following data: a species name, author(s), references, a number of first page of description, figure numbers in descriptions, depository of type and non-type materials, host spectrum and geographical distribution. The checklist is additionally provided with the table including bird hosts and associated quill mite species.

New quill mites (Cheyletoidea: Syringophilidae) parasitizing tyrannid birds (Passeriformes: Tyrannidae) in Peru.

Two new quill mite species (Cheyletoidea: Syringophilidae) are described from tyrannid birds (Passeriformes: Tyrannidae) in Peru: Picobia sayornis sp. nov. from the black phoebe Sayornis nigricans (Swainson) (first record of Picobia Haller species on tyrannid host) and Syringophilopsis szeffleri sp. nov. from the scale-crested pygmy-tyrant Lophotriccus pileatus (Tschudi). The Pacific elaenia Myiopagis subplacens (Sclater) is recorded as a new host for Syringophilopsis tyranni Bochkov and Galloway.

Two new species of the genus Picobia Haller (Acari: Syringophilidae) from Australian and Indonesian passeriform birds

Abstract Two new species of the quill mite genus Picobia Haller are described and figured from Australian and Indonesian passeriform birds: Picobia pyrrholaemus sp. nov. from Pyrrholaemus sagit‐tatus (Acanthizidae) from Australia and Picobia indonesiana sp. nov. from three Indonesian sturnid birds (Sturnidae): Aplonis panayensis (Scopoli), Enodes erythrophris (Temminck) and Mino dumontii Lesson.

A new quill mite Syringophiloidus plocei sp. nov. (Prostigmata: Syringophilidae) parasitizing ploceid birds (Passeriformes) in Gabon - a combined description using morphology and DNA barcoding.

A new species of quill mites (Syringophilidae) Syringophiloidus plocei sp. nov. parasitizing Ploceus cucullatus (St. Muller) (type host), P. aurantius (Vieillot) and P. nigerrimus (Vieillot) (Ploceidae: Passeriformes) in Gabon is described using external morphology and DNA barcode data (the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I sequences (COI) and D1–D3 region of the nuclear 28S rRNA gene). Females of S. plocei sp. nov. differ from S. pseudonigritae Glowska, Dragun-Damian and Dabert, 2012 by the length of setae ag3 190–230 (vs 145–160). The genetic distances (K2P) between COI haplotypes of S. plocei sp. nov. individuals (from P. cucullatus, P. nigerrimus and P. aurantius) and S. pseudonigritae ranges from 13.1–13.7%.

New species of the genus Picobia (Cheyletoidea: Syringophilidae) parasitizing tyrannid birds (Passeriformes: Tyrannidae).

Three new quill mite species of the genus Picobia Haller (Cheyletoidea: Syringophilidae) are described from 6 host species of the family Tyrannidae (Passeriformes), P. ochoi sp. nov. from Tolmomyias sulphurescens (Spix) (Guyana), P. schmidti sp. nov. from Lophotriccus pileatus (Tschudi) (type host) (Peru) and Hemitriccus margaritaceiventer (Orbigny & Lafresnaye) (Guyana), and P. myiopagi sp. nov. from Myiopagis gaimardii (Orbigny) (type host) (Guyana), M. subplacens (Sclater) (Peru) and Elaenia ruficeps Pelzeln (Guyana).

Two new species of the quill mite genus Aulobia Kethley, 1970 (Acari, Syringophilidae) associated with sunbirds (Passeriformes, Nectariniidae)

Two new quill mite species parasitizing sunbirds (Nectariniidae) are described: Aulobia nectariniae sp. nov. from the Olive-backed Sunbird Cinnyris jugularis (L.), from the Black Sunbird Leptocoma sericea (Lesson), and Aulobia anthreptes sp. nov. from Plain-throated Sunbird Anthreptes malacensis. The family Nectariniidae is a new host group for syringophilid mites.

Stibarokris mariasi sp. nov. – a new quill mite species (Acariformes: Syringophilidae) parasitizing Puffinus pacificus (Gmelin) (Procellariidae) on Johnston Atoll

A new quill mite species Stibarokris mariasi sp. nov. (Acariformes: Syringophilidae) is described from the Wedge-tailed Shearwater Puffinus pacificus (Gmelin) (Procellariiformes: Procellariidae) from Johnston Atoll. Females of S. mariasi sp. nov. differ from most similar species S. phoeniconaias Skoracki and OConnor, 2010 by the longitudinal branch of the peritremes consisting of 11–14 chambers (vs 15–17 chambers in S. phoeniconaias), the movable cheliceral digit 145 long (vs 170), setal bases c1 situated distinctly anterior to the level of setae se (vs setal bases c1 and se situated at the same transverse level), the propodonotal shield punctate on the whole surface (vs propodonotal shield punctate at the lateral margins), the small, balloonlike hysteronotal shield, bearing bases of setae d1 and densely punctate on the whole surface (vs hysteronotal shield bearing setal bases d1 and e2 and punctate at the anterior part), the pseudanal setae ps1 1.8 times longer than setae ps2 (vs setae ps1 and ps2 subequal in length), subequal lengths of setae h1 and f1 (vs setae h1 twice longer than f1) and the lengths of setae ag1, ag2, and ag3 145–170, 105–125, 120–165, respectively (vs ag1, ag2 and ag3 245–285, 245–270, 330–340, respectively). A key to all known species of the genus Stibarokris Kethley, 1970 is proposed.

New taxa of the subfamily Picobiinae (Cheyletoidea: Syringophilidae) parasitizing antbirds and gnateaters (Passeriformes: Thamnophilidae, Conopophagidae) in Guyana

A new genus and three new species of the picobiin quill mites (Cheyletoidea: Syringophilidae) are described from passeriform birds in Guyana, Phipicobia pygiptilae gen. nov. and sp. nov. parasitizing Pygiptila stellaris (Spix) (Thamnophilidae), Rafapicobia thamnophili sp. nov. from Thamnophilus insignis Salvin et Godman (type host), Myrmoborus leucophrys (Tschudi), Myrmeciza ferruginea (St. Müller), Myrmotherula longipennis Pelzeln, and Hypocnemis cantator (Boddaert) (Thamnophilidae), and Rafapicobia milenskyi sp. nov. from Conopophaga aurita (Gmelin) (Conopophagidae).