Paramealia Gaud, 1968

Grootaert, Patrick, 2014, Revision of the subfamily Onychalginae Fain, 1988 (Acariformes: Pyroglyphidae) — ectoparasites of passerine birds, Zootaxa 3785 (2), pp. 175-200 : 195-196

Genus Paramealia Gaud, 1968

Paramealia Gaud, 1968: 310 (Psoroptidae) ; Fain 1988: 21 ( Pyroglyphidae ). Onychalges Gaud, 1958: 32 (Analgidae) , nomen nudum.

Type species: Onychalges ovatus Gaud and Mouchet, 1959 , by original designation.

Diagnosis. BOTH SEXES. Central sclerite of ambulacral disc with strongly reduced anterior part.

MALE. Sheath of aedeagus absent. Hysteronotum without narrow lateral sclerotized bands. Apodemes Ia free. Opisthosomal lobes absent. Adanal shields with indentations on inner margins. Legs III and IV subequal in width. Setae s III, w III, w IV spur-like pointed apically.

FEMALE. Scapular shields absent. All coxal fields opened. Genital papillae encircled by epigynum. Bursa copulatrix globular. Primary spermaduct corrugated. Setae s III and w IV thickened, pointed apically.

Species included: P. ovata ( Gaud and Mouchet, 1959) .

Hosts and distribution. Ectoparasites of Ploceidae (Passeriformes) from Cameroon ( Gaud & Mouchet 1959; Gaud 1968).

Remarks. Gaud (1958) used the name “ Onychalges Gaud, 1958 ” and gave a figure of " Onychalges ovatus ” to illustrate leg characters of this genus in a key (p. 30, fig. 2D). The species name “ Onychalges ovatus ” is unavailable because it was proposed as a part of the combined description of a new genus and species, but not marked by "gen. nov., sp. nov." or an equivalent expression (ICZN Article 13.4). In the cited work, the type species (by monotypy, ICZN Article 68.3) is an unavailable name, therefore, the genus name is also unavailable (ICZN Article 13.3).

“ Onychalges Gaud, 1958 ” corresponds to Paramealia in the current usage, while Onychalges Gaud and Mouchet, 1959 represents a distinct, separate genus, for which Megninia longitarsa was validly designated as the type species ( Gaud & Mouchet 1959; see also remarks to Onychalges ).