Two new quill mite species collected from passerine birds in Brazil are described: Torotrogla syn... more Two new quill mite species collected from passerine birds in Brazil are described: Torotrogla synallaxis sp. nov. from Synallaxis spixi Sclater (Funariidae) and Syringophilopsis bonariensis sp. nov. from Molothrus bonariensis (Gmelin) (Icteridae). Additionally, three syringophilid species were recorded from new host species captured in Minas Gerais, Brazil: Syringophilopsis tyranni Bochkov and Galloway, 2004 from Satrapa icterophrys (Vieillot) (Tyrannidae); Syringophiloidus stawarczyki Skoracki, 2004 from Dacnis cayana (Linnaeus) (Thraupidae) and Syringophiloidus parapresentalis Skoracki, 2011 from Turdus rufiventris Vieillot (Turdidae). The syringophilid fauna presently recorded from Brazil is summarized.
The richness and structure of symbiont assemblages are shaped by many factors acting at different... more The richness and structure of symbiont assemblages are shaped by many factors acting at different spatial and temporal scales. Among them, host phylogeny and geographic distance play essential roles. To explore drivers of richness and structure of symbiont assemblages, feather mites and seabirds are an attractive model due to their peculiar traits. Feather mites are permanent ectosymbionts and considered highly host-specific with limited dispersal abilities. Seabirds harbour species-rich feather mite communities and their colonial breeding provides opportunities for symbionts to exploit several host species. To unravel the richness and test the influence of host phylogeny and geographic distance on mite communities, we collected feather mites from 11 seabird species breeding across the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. Using morphological criteria, we identified 33 mite species, of which 17 were new or recently described species. Based on community similarity analyses, mite communities were clearly structured by host genera, while the effect of geography within host genera or species was weak and sometimes negligible. We found a weak but significant effect of geographic distance on similarity patterns in mite communities for Cory's shearwaters Calonectris borealis. Feather mite specificity mainly occurred at the host-genus rather than at host-species level, suggesting that previously inferred host species-specificity may have resulted from poorly sampling closely related host species. Overall, our results show that host phylogeny plays a greater role than geography in determining the composition and structure of mite assemblages and pinpoints the importance of sampling mites from closely-related host species before describing mite specificity patterns. The composition and structure of symbiont assemblages (parasites, commensals or mutualists) can be shaped by a wide array of variables including symbiont intrinsic factors (i.e., host specificity) 1,2 , extrinsic host features (i.e., phylogeny, morphological characteristics, behaviour) 3-5 or ecological factors (i.e., host diet, host habitat, geographic distance between sampling localities) . For example, we would expect phylogenetically related hosts to harbour similar symbiont assemblages that were acquired through co-speciation or host-switching. In the latter case, similarity would be explained by the fact that related hosts have more characteristics in common than unrelated species, such as similar living conditions for symbionts or similar defense systems 5 . This similarity has been found in symbionts of freshwater fishes, rodents and primates 5,9,10 . However, in other studies host phylogeny failed to fully explain similarity in symbiont communities among hosts, indicating that other extrinsic factors,
Six cases of primary homonyms were identified for the species and subspecies names originally giv... more Six cases of primary homonyms were identified for the species and subspecies names originally given to eleven nominal taxa in the feather mite genus Proctophyllodes Robin, 1868 (Proctophyllodidae: Proctophyllodinae). Previously, experts did not recognize these homonyms because identical species-group names have been established in different subgenera of the above genus. Subsequently, nominal taxa bearing a senior homonymic name, as well as both taxa in the homonymic pairs, were transferred to different genera and families. Under the Article 57.4 of the acting ICZN Code, we herein propose substitute names for the following junior homonyms. Proctophyllodes aphyllus Gaud and Mouchet, 1957 [preocc.: Proctophyllodes (Alloptes) aphyllus Trouessart, 1885 (Proctophyllodidae: Monojoubertia] is renamed to Proctophyllodes triangularis nom.n. Proctophyllodes elegans Atyeo and Braasch, 1966 [preocc.: Proctophyllodes (Pterocolus) elegans Trouessart, 1887 (Trouessartiidae: Uniscutalges)] is rena...
Feather mites are useful models for studying speciation due to their high diversity and strong de... more Feather mites are useful models for studying speciation due to their high diversity and strong degree of host specialization. However, studies to date have focused on the evolution of higher-level mite taxa while much hidden diversity likely occurs at the level of host genera and species. In this study, we examined the diversity and evolution of feather mites infesting six sympatric seabird species from six genera, breeding in the Cape Verde archipelago. We report 32 feather mite morphospecies categorized into 10 genera and three families, of which nine correspond to new, undescribed species. Molecular data corroborated morphological species descriptions, except for two morphologically-cryptic, but genetically distinct mite lineages related to Zachvatkinia oceanodromae and Laminalloptes simplex. Using these communities, we then applied a co-structure approach to test the contribution of ectosymbiont and host factors in driving feather mite evolution. Most seabird species hosted specific and unique feather mite species, even under sympatric conditions, and in general, feather mite species exhibited strong host-driven genetic structure. However, patterns of genetic differentiation were variable. That is, some mite species are more generalist than others and mite lineages/haplotypes can be shared by related seabird species. Interestingly, host-specific mites (e.g., Zachvatkinia spp.) tend to display much higher intra-specific diversity compared to more generalist mites (e.g., Microspalax and Plicatalloptes spp.). We discuss ectosymbiont and host life-history traits that might generate these patterns, such as host dispersal and breeding behavior and/or mite spatial and trophic specialization. Our findings highlight both the vast and largely unrecognized diversity of avian feather mites on seabirds, and the intrinsic complexity of the ecological processes underlying the evolution of these ectosymbionts.
Acari represent the most diverse group within the arachnids with some 60,000 described species. I... more Acari represent the most diverse group within the arachnids with some 60,000 described species. It is generally believed that most species of mites are waiting to be discovered and described. Zootaxa was the most important journal for mite taxonomy during the last twenty years (2001 to 2020). It published 1305 papers by 1057 authors during these two decades, with descriptions of 3271 new taxa/names, which account for 24.4% of the total indexed in Zoological Record. The numbers of new synonyms of Acari in Zootaxa (334) also accounted for nearly a quarter (24.9%) of the total published during this period. These data indicate that Zootaxa has been an important and leading journal for acarologists to document the diversity of mites and ticks in the world.
International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife, 2020
Due to its cold and dry climate and scarcity of ice-free land, Antarctica has one of the most ext... more Due to its cold and dry climate and scarcity of ice-free land, Antarctica has one of the most extreme environments on our planet. To survive in the Antarctic region, parasitic arthropods must either remain closely associated with their hosts throughout the entire life cycle or develop physiological adaptations to survive in the terrestrial habitat while their hosts are away foraging at sea or overwintering at lower latitudes. Forty-eight species of birds and seven species of pinnipeds breed in the Antarctic region, with 158 species/subspecies of parasitic arthropods recorded thus far, comprising: sucking lice (Echinophthiriidae), chewing lice (Menoponidae, Philopteridae), fleas (Ceratophyllidae, Pygiopsyllidae, Rhopalopsyllidae), pentastomes (Reighardiidae), hard ticks (Ixodidae), nest-associated haematophagous mites (Laelapidae), nasal mites (Halarachnidae, Rhinonyssidae) and feather mites (Alloptidae, Avenzoariidae, Xolalgidae, Freyanidae). In this review, we provide an updated compilation of the available information on the host-parasite associations of arthropods infesting birds and pinnipeds in the Antarctic region, and discuss some over-arching ecological patterns and gaps of knowledge.
Parasites face range loss and shifts under climate change, with likely parasite extinction rates ... more Parasites face range loss and shifts under climate change, with likely parasite extinction rates of up to one in three species.
Evolution; international journal of organic evolution, Oct 22, 2017
Inferring cophylogeographic events requires matching the timing of these events on both host and ... more Inferring cophylogeographic events requires matching the timing of these events on both host and symbiont (e.g., parasites) phylogenies because divergences of hosts and their symbionts may not temporally coincide, and host switches may occur. We investigate a large radiation of birds (Passeriformes) and their permanent symbionts, the proctophyllodid feather mites (117 species from 116 bird species; six genes, 11,468 nt aligned) using two time-calibration strategies for mites: fossils only and host phylogeography only. Out of 10 putative cophylogeographic events 4 agree in timing for both symbiont and host events being synchronous co-origins or codispersals; three were based on host shifts, but agree in timing being very close to the origin of modern hosts; two disagree; and one large basal mite split was seemingly independent from host phylogeography. Among these events was an ancient (21-25.3 Mya), synchronous codispersal from the Old World leading to the origin and diversification...
Understanding host–symbiont networks is a major question in evolutionary ecology. Birds host a gr... more Understanding host–symbiont networks is a major question in evolutionary ecology. Birds host a great diversity of endo‐ and ectosymbiotic organisms, with feather mites (Arachnida: Acariformes: Analgoidea, Pterolichoidea) being among the most diverse of avian symbionts. A global approach to the ecology and evolution of bird–feather‐mite associations has been hampered because of the absence of a centralized data repository. Here we present the most extensive data set of associations between feather mites and birds. Data include 12 036 records of 1887 feather mite species located on the flight feathers of 2234 bird species from 147 countries. Feather mites typically located inside quills, on the skin, or on downy body feathers are not included. Data were extracted from 493 published sources dating from 1882 to 2015. Data exploration shows that although most continents and bird families are represented, most bird species remain unexplored for feather mites. Nevertheless, this is the mos...
Six new species and two new genera of feather mites are described from the hoatzin Opisthocomus h... more Six new species and two new genera of feather mites are described from the hoatzin Opisthocomus hoazin (Müller) (Opisthocomiformes: Opisthocomidae) in Brazil: Gymnolichus lacrimosus sp. n., G. latihumeralis sp. n. (Xolalgidae), Temnalges hoazin sp. n., T. atelodiscus sp. n. (Psoroptoididae), Ciganalichus boasfilhoi gen. n., sp. n., and Hoazinacarus anisosetus gen. n., sp. n. (Pterolichidae). Illustrations of two previously known species, Opisthocomacarus umbellifer (Trouessart, 1899) and Stakyonemus hystrix (Trouessart, 1899) are provided. We show that the hoatzin bears a much richer
Feather mites are one of the most important symbionts of birds, living on the feather, inside the... more Feather mites are one of the most important symbionts of birds, living on the feather, inside the quill, and in and on the skin. Approximately 2500 mite species from two superfamilies, Analgoidea and Pterolichoidea, have been described. Here, the feather mite fauna of 196 individuals of 42 bird species from the Kızılırmak delta, Turkey, was investigated. We detected a total of 30 feather mite species belonging to 14 genera and 9 families: Alloptes aythinae (Alloptidae);
Ten passerine species were examined on three islands of the Azores (North Atlantic) during 2013 a... more Ten passerine species were examined on three islands of the Azores (North Atlantic) during 2013 and 2014 in order to identify their feather mite assemblages. We recorded 19 feather mite species belonging to four families of the superfamily Analgoidea (Analgidae, Proctophyllodidae, Psoroptoididae and Trouessartiidae). A high prevalence of feather mite species was recorded on the majority of the examined host species. Only three passerine species (Sylvia atricapilla, Regulus regulus and Serinus canaria) presented the same full complex of mite species as commonly occurs in the plumage of their closest relatives in continental Europe. Passer domesticus presented the same limited fauna of feather mites living in the plumage as do its co-specifics in continental Europe. Carduelis carduelis bears the same feather mite species as do most of its continental populations in Europe, but it lacks one mite species occurring on this host in Egypt. Turdus merula, Pyrrhula murina and Fringilla coele...
Feather mites (Astigmata: Analgoidea and Pterolichoidea) are among the most abundant and commonly... more Feather mites (Astigmata: Analgoidea and Pterolichoidea) are among the most abundant and commonly occurring bird ectosymbionts. Basic questions on the ecology and evolution of feather mites remain unanswered because feather mite species identification is often only possible for adult males, and it is laborious even for specialized taxonomists, thus precluding large‐scale identifications. Here, we tested DNA barcoding as a useful molecular tool to identify feather mites from passerine birds. Three hundred and sixty‐one specimens of 72 species of feather mites from 68 species of European passerine birds from Russia and Spain were barcoded. The accuracy of barcoding and minibarcoding was tested. Moreover, threshold choice (a controversial issue in barcoding studies) was also explored in a new way, by calculating through simulations the effect of sampling effort (in species number and species composition) on threshold calculations. We found one 200‐bp minibarcode region that showed the ...
Gradients of environmental stress may affect biotic interactions in unpredictable ways responding... more Gradients of environmental stress may affect biotic interactions in unpredictable ways responding to climate variation, depending on the abiotic stress tolerance of interacting partners. Here, we study the effect of local climate on the intensity of feather mites in six mountain passerines along a 1400 m elevational gradient characterized by shifting temperature and rainfall. Although obligatory symbionts of warm-blooded organisms are assumed to live in mild and homeothermic environments, those inhabiting external, non-blood-irrigated body portions of the host organism, such as feather mites, are expected to endure exposure to the direct influence of a fluctuating climate. As expected, feather mite intensity declined with elevation in all bird species, a pattern that was also found in cold-adapted passerines that have typical alpine habits. The elevation cline was mainly explained by a positive effect of the average temperature upon mite intensity in five of the six species studied. Precipitation explained less variance in mite intensity than average temperature, and showed a negative correlation in half of the studied species. We found no climate-driven migration of mites along the wings of birds, no replacement of mite species along elevation gradients and no association with available food resources for mites (estimated by the size of the uropygial gland). This study suggests that ectosymbionts of warm-blooded animals may be highly sensitive to climatic variation and become less abundant under stressful environmental conditions, providing empirical evidence of the decline of specialized biotic interactions among animal species at high elevations.
Three new species of the feather mite subfamily Ingrassiinae (Acariformes: Astigmata: Xolalgidae)... more Three new species of the feather mite subfamily Ingrassiinae (Acariformes: Astigmata: Xolalgidae) are described from shearwaters and petrels (Procellariiformes: Procellariidae) in the North-East of Atlantic Ocean: Ingrassia calonectris sp. n. from Calonectris borealis (Cory) (type host) and Calonectris edwardsii (Oustalet), Ingrassia micronota sp. n. and Opetiopoda bulweriae sp. n. from Bulweria bulwerii (Jardine and Selby).
Two new species, Syringophilopisis pari sp. nov. from Poecile palustris Linnaeus (Paridae) and To... more Two new species, Syringophilopisis pari sp. nov. from Poecile palustris Linnaeus (Paridae) and Torotrogla volgini sp. nov. from Emberiza elegans Temminck (Emberizidae) are described. Additionally, new host species are reported for three syringophilid species: Emberiza tristrami Swinhoe and E. rutila Pallas for Betasyringophiloidus schoeniclus (Skoracki); Sitta europaea Linnaeus (Sittidae) for Syringophilopsis sittae Skoracki et al., and Zosterops erythropleurus Swinhoe (Zosteropidae) for Neoaulonastus zosterops Skoracki et al. All avian hosts were captured in the Primorsky Krai, Russia. The syringophilid fauna presently recorded from Russia is summarized.
In this paper, we review the pteronyssid feather mites of the genera Pteronyssus Robin, Scutulany... more In this paper, we review the pteronyssid feather mites of the genera Pteronyssus Robin, Scutulanyssus Mironov, and Stenopteronyssus Faccini and Atyeo found in the course of an investigation into ectoparasites of birds in Canada. Five new species of feather mites are described: Pteronyssus sphyrapicinus sp. nov. from the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Sphyrapicus varius (L.); Stenopteronyssus proctorae sp. nov. from the Northern Flicker, Colaptes auratus (L.); Scutulanyssus prognei sp. nov. and Scutulanyssus subis sp. nov. from the Purple Martin, Progne subis (L.); and Scutulanyssus petrochelidonis sp. nov. from the Cliff Swallow, Petrochelidon pyrrhonota (Vieillot). New host records are provided for Pteronyssus picoides Černy and Schumilo from the Downy Woodpecker, Picoides pubescens (L.), and for Scutulanyssus obscurus (Berlese) from the Cliff Swallow; Pteronyssus brevipes Berlese and Scutulanyssus hirundicolus Mironov are formally recorded in North America for the first time; and Ptero...
Two new species of the genus Geckobia (Acari: Pterygosomatidae) -G. anocellatus sp.n. ex Eublepha... more Two new species of the genus Geckobia (Acari: Pterygosomatidae) -G. anocellatus sp.n. ex Eublepharis angramainyu (Eublepharoidea: Eublepharidae) from Iraq and G. hirsti sp.n. ex Tenuidactylus caspius (Gekkonoidea: Gekkonidae) from Turkmenistan are described. Host-parasite associations of the genus and species groups with different taxa of Gekkonomorpha are briefly discussed.
Two new syringophilid mites, Picobia chloris sp. n. and Syringophilopsis kirgizorum, are describe... more Two new syringophilid mites, Picobia chloris sp. n. and Syringophilopsis kirgizorum, are described from Carduelis chloris (Passeriformes: Fringillidae) from Kirghizia.
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Papers by Sergey Mironov