Picisyringophilus, Skoracki & Oconnor, 2010

Skoracki, Maciej & Oconnor, Barry, 2010, New taxa of quill mites (Acari: Cheyletoidea: Syringophilidae), Zootaxa 2341 (1), pp. 1-32 : 13-15

Picisyringophilus gen. nov.

Diagnosis. FEMALE. Gnathosoma . Hypostomal apex with one pair of minute protuberances. Stylophore constricted posteriorly. Peritremes M-shaped with distinct chambers in longitudinal and transverse branches. Stylets of movable digits dentate, with 2 teeth each. Idiosoma . Propodonotal shield entire. Propodonotal setae arranged 3–2–1. Hysteronotal shield not fused to pygidial shield. Setae d1, d2 and e long. Setae d1 situated equidistant between setae d2 and e. Two pairs of aggenital setae present (ag2 absent). Genital and pseudanal series with two pairs of setae each. All body setae smooth. Legs. Apodemes I divergent, fused to apodemes II, apodemes of legs III and IV present. Claws subequal in size and shape, without basal angle. Legs with full complement of smooth setae.

MALE. Characteristics as in female except: stylets of movable digits edentate; setae d1, d2 and e short; apodemes of legs III and IV absent. Host order: Piciformes . Type species: Picisyringophilus kratos sp. nov. Etymology. The name is refers to the order name of the host – Piciformes , and type genus of the family Syringophilidae – Syringophilus .

Differential diagnosis. This new genus is similar to Mironovia Chirov et Kravtsova, 1995 . In both genera, females have the hypostomal apex with a pair of minute protuberances, the lateral hypostomal teeth are absent, the stylophore is constricted posteriorly, setae d1 are situated closer to d2 than to e, setae f2 and h2 are long, setae h1 and f1 are short, the genital and pseudanal series are with two pairs of setae each, the aggenital series is with two pairs of setae, apodemes I are divergent, and the legs are with the full complement of setae. This new genus is distinguished from Mironovia by the following characters: in females of Picisyringophilus gen. nov., the propodonotal setae se are situated distinctly anterior to the level of setae c1, the hysteronotal shield is not fused to the pygidial shield, the coxal fields of legs I and II are similar in the size and shape, and apodemes of legs III and IV are distinct. In females of Mironovia , propodonotal setae se are situated posteriorly to the level of setae c1, the hysteronotal shield is fused to the pygidial shield; the coxal fields of legs I and II are dissimilar in size and shape, and apodemes of legs III and IV are indistinct.