Ciconichenophilus, Skoracki & Oconnor, 2010

Skoracki, Maciej & Oconnor, Barry, 2010, New taxa of quill mites (Acari: Cheyletoidea: Syringophilidae), Zootaxa 2341 (1), pp. 1-32 : 12-13

Ciconichenophilus gen. nov.

Diagnosis. FEMALE. Gnathosoma . Hypostomal apex rounded, without protuberances. Stylophore rounded with projection on posterior end. Peritremes M-shaped with distinct visible chambers in longitudinal and transverse branches. Movable cheliceral digits edentate. Idiosoma . Propodonotal shield entire. Propodonotal setae arranged 2–1–1–2. Hysteronotal shield not fused to pygidial shield. Setae d1, d2 and e long. Setae d1 situated closer to d2 than to e. Setae f1 and h1 short, setae f2 and h2 long. Three pairs of aggenital setae present. Genital and pseudanal series with two pairs of setae each. All dorsal setae, except terminal setae (f1, f2, h1 and h2) slightly knobbed. Legs. Apodemes I divergent, not fused to apodemes II, apodemes III and IV absent. Claws subequal in size and shape, without basal angle. Leg setae smooth. Setae vs of legs II absent.

MALE. Unknown.

Host order: Ciconiiformes .

Type species: Ciconichenophilus phoeniconaias sp. nov.

Etymology. The name is refers to the order name of the host and the closely related syringophilid genus Chenophila .

Differential diagnosis. Ciconichenophilus gen. nov. is similar to Chenophila Kethley, 1970 . In females of both genera, the hypostomal apex is devoid the protuberances, the lateral hypostomal teeth are absent, the propodonotal shield is entire, setae of the propodonotal region are arranged 2–1–1–2; the genital and pseudanal series are with two pairs of setae each, the aggenital series is with three pairs of setae, and the apodemes of legs I are divergent. This new genus is distinguished from Chenophila by the following characters: in females of Ciconichenophilus gen. nov., the stylophore is rounded posteriorly, hysteronotal setae d1, d2, and e and terminal setae f2 are long, setae vsII are absent, and apodemes I are not fused to apodemes II. In females of Chenophila , the stylophore is constricted posteriorly, hysteronotal setae d1, d2, and e and terminal setae f2 are short, setae vsII are present, and apodemes I are fused to apodemes II.