Parasitic Quill Mites of the Family Syringophilidae (Acariformes: Prostigmata) Associated With Sub-Saharan Sunbirds (Passeriformes: Nectariniidae): Species Composition and Host-Parasite Relationships

Abstract

We investigated the quill mite fauna of the family Syringophilidae (Acariformes: Prostigmata) associated with Sunbirds (Passeriformes: Nectariniidae) in the Sub-Saharan region. Six hundred eleven host individuals belonging to 52 species were examined. Syringophilid parasitization prevalence (44 hosts of 15 species) ranged from 1.4 to 75% in particular host species. In the collected material, we have found seven quill mite species and among them four are new for science: 1) Aulobia afroanthreptes Skoracki & Zmudzinski sp. nov. from Anthreptes neglectus Neumann, 1922 and Anthreptes longuemarei (Lesson, 1831), both from Tanzania; 2) Syringophiloidus nectariniae Skoracki & Zmudzinski sp. nov. from Hedydipna collaris (Vieillot, 1819) from Tanzania; 3) Aulonastus nectariniphilus Skoracki & Zmudzinski sp. nov. from Anthreptes reichenowi Gunning, 1909 from Tanzania and Nectarinia tacazze (Stanley, 1814) from Ethiopia; and 4) Picobia hedydipna Skoracki & Zmudzinski sp. nov. from Hedydipna collaris from Kenya. Representatives of the genera Aulonastus Kethley, 1970 and Syringophiloidus Kethley, 1970 are recorded on Sunbirds for the first time. The following new host species are given: Cinnyris mariquensis Smith, 1836, C. shelleyi Alexander, 1899 and C. regius Reichenov, 1893, all from Tanzania for Aulobia nectariniae Skoracki & Glowska, 2008; A. neglectus and A. longuemarei, both from Tanzania for Neoaulonastus cinnyris Klimovicova et al., 2014; Cyanomitra verreauxii (Smith, 1832) from Tanzania and Cinnyris chalybeus (Linnaeus, 1766) from South Africa for Picobia oritis Skoracki et al., 2009. Additionally, host-parasite relationships are discussed.