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FIELDIANA
Zoology

Published by Field Museum of Natural History

Volume 65, No. 1 December, 1973

A New Genus and Species of

Quill Mites (Acarina: Syringophilidae) from

Colinus virginianus (Galliformes: Phasianidae)

With Notes on Developmental Chaetotaxy

John B. Kethley

Assistant Curator, Division of Insects

Field Museum of Natural History

Introduction

The cheyletoid family Syringophilidae Lavoipierre, 1953, in-
cludes 1 7 described genera known to parasitize ten orders of birds
(Kethley, 1970). For the most part, the genera appear to be
specific at the ordinal level of avian host. The adaptive strategy of
quill mites to exploit the volume of the quill has resulted in a
restriction of mite species to specific feather tracts (Kethley,
1971). Consequently, it is possible to find two or more different
quill mite species, usually representing different genera, para-
sitizing the same host individual.

At present, two or more syringophilid genera per host order are
only known for three bird orders (Charadriiformes, Columbi-
formes, Passeriformes). A new genus and species from Colinus
virginianus, described below, represents the second syringophiUd
genus from a galliform host.

The terminology employed in the description follows that used
in a former paper (Kethley, 1970). All measurements are in
microns.

us -ISSN 0015-0754 -iiBurv

Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 73-91068 NATURAL HISTORY SURltl

Publication 1176

J AN 2 3 1974
LIBRARY

2 FIELDIANA: ZOOLOGY, VOLUME 65

Colinophilus, new genus

Species of Colinophilus may be distinguished from all other
species of Syringophilidae by the presence of v^'II, having setae 12,
6^3 in a longitudinal row, and the presence of lateral hypostomal
teeth. This new genus appears most similar to Stibarokris, but is
also closely related to Syringonomus. These large-sized mites
(800-l,100/L() are found in the primaries of galhform birds of the
family Phasianidae. The name Colinophilus means lover of colinus.

Type species.— Colinophilus wilsoni, new species, ex. Colinus
virginianus (L.), Phasianidae, Galliformes.

FEMALE. (1). Hypostomal apex slightly ornamented. (2). Lateral hypostomal teeth
present. (3). Cheliceral digit with 2-3 teeth. (4). Peritreme M shaped; lateral branches
each with 9-10 chambers; each longitudinal branch with 16-18 chambers. (5). Stylo-
phore constructed posteriorly, extending beneath prodorsal sclerite. (6). Palpal tibiotar-
sus rounded on distal margin. (7). Setae vi, ve, sci, Il,dl,l2,l3, d3 weakly knobbed (fig.
3J); otlier setae smooth. (8). Prodorsal sclerite weakly sclerotized, margins indistinct;
entire, rectangular in shape. (9). Weak hysterosomal sclerite present. (10). Setal pattern
of prop)odosomal region with six pairs of setae arranged 2-2-2. (11). Setae 12, d3, B
long; d3 closer to 12 than to 13. (12). Setae d4, 14 long, d4 3/4 length of 14; dS, 15
short. (13). Genital series with two pairs of setae; anal series with two pairs of
setae. (14). Paragenital series with three pairs of setae. (15).MCAI weakly divergent to
sub-parallel, fused to AfC42 indistinctly. (16). Coxae III-IV weakly sclerotized, margins
indistinct. (17). Cuticular striations as in Figures 1 and 2. (18). Legs I slightly thicker
than II; legs II subequal in thickness to III-IV. (19). Legs with full compliment of
setae. (20). Setae a' and a" multiserrate; 10-12 tines. (21)Antaxial and paraxial
members of claw pair subequal; claws one-fourth of empodium. (22). Order of hosts:
GaUiformes. (23). Types of feathers inhabit: primaries.

MALE. As in female except: (2). Lateral hypostomal teeth absent. (3). Qieliceral
digits edentate. (7). All setae smooth. (10). Setal pattern of propodosomal region
arranged 2-2-1-1. (11). Setae /3, d3 short. (12). Setae d4 short. (17). Cuticular stria-
tions as in Figure 4.

Colinophilus wilsoni new species. Figures 1 —4.

FEMALE (holotype). Length 1,097^/; width 312^, Gnathosoma: Hypostomal apices
fleshy, hyaline lobes, unornamented, with smooth margins. Lateral hypostomal
apodemes (teeth) present (fig. 3A) with greatest development ventrad; setae ao\, ao2
subequal in length, extending to margin of hypostomal apices. Length of stylophore 355.
Peritremes (fig. 3B), each lateral branch with 9-10 chambers; each longitudinal branch
with 16-18 chamheis, Dorsalidiosoma: Propodosomal sclerite not divided, rectangular in
outline, bearing setae vi, ve, sci, dl, /I; ratios of vi:ve.sci:sce, 1:1 1/2:2:2; dl, II, sci
subequal in length; distance between setal bases-v/ to ve 29, vi to sci 90, vi to see 103, vi
to 11 166, VI to dl 166, vi to vi 120, ve to ve 142, sci to sci 154, see to see 142, 11 to 11
107, dl to dl 34. Weak hysterosomal sclerite present, extremely weak in young females,
bearing 12, d3, 13, d4, dS; 12, d 3, 13 each 1.72 time length of vi;ratios oi d4; 14; d5;l5.

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Fig. 1 . Colinophilus wilsoni, n. sp. Female, dorsal aspect. Line scale equals lOOju-

3 '

4 FIELDIANA: ZOOLOGY, VOLUME 65

8:14:2:1; d4 three times length of vi; distance between setal bases-/2 to d3 56, 12 to
/3 166, d3 to /3 110, 12 to 12 81, d3 to J3 61, 13 to /3 123. Fenrra/ idiosoma: As
in Figure 2. Legs: Solenidia sigma, phi, omega of leg 1 as in Figure 3E, F, G; setae dF,
dG, dT of legs I and II smooth, dGl shorter thandTl, g?GII shorter than J71I;fl' and a"
I-IV each with 10-12 tines, a I 1/2 length of a" I (fig. 3C, H, I); 3b, Ab subequal, 1/2
length of respective coxae, 3c three times length of 3b, extending to base of Ac, Ac
longer than 3c; sc3, scA subequal, extending to distal margin of respective tibiae; vFII
extending to tip of empodium; tc'lW, tc'W subequal, each 1/2 length of tc" III, re" IV.

MALE (paratype). As in female except: Length 843; width 282, Gnathosoma:
Hypostomal apices unornamented; length of stylophore 295. Dorsal idiosoma: Propodo-
somal sclerite bearing setae vi, ve, sci, d\; ratios oi vi:ve:sci:sce, 1:1.4:1.2:1.2; c?l, /I
subequal, 1 .5 times length of vi; hysterosomal sclerite absent, 12 0.85 length of vi; d3, 13,
subequal, 0.30 length of vi; ratios of J4:/4:fll:^l, 4:19:2:1; dA 0.30 times length of vi;
ratios of pgl:pg2:pg3, 1.5:1:1.25, pg\ slightly shorter (0.92) than vi. Ventral idiosoma
and aedeagus: As in Figures 4A-D. Legs: Setae 3b, 4b subequal to length of respective
coxae, Ac shorter than 3c; sc3, sc4 extending at most to basal half of respective tibiae;
re III, tc'lV subequal, each .33 times length of tc'Ul, tc'lV.

Type material.— From the primary flight feathers of Colinus
virginianus (L.), Phasianidae: holotype female, 9 female paratypes,
3 male paratypes, Tall Timbers Research Station, Leon County,
Florida; Feb. 8, 1971 , F. E. Kellog leg.

Additional material.— From primary number 6 of Colinus
virginianus, 2 females, Graves County, Kentucky, Nov. 28, 1969,
T. Peterle leg.

The holotype, one male paratype, and two determined females
are in the collections of Field Museum of Natural History; two
paratypes (one male, one female) each to be deposited with the
United States National Museum, Washington, D. C. and the British
Museum (Natural History), London; one female paratype in each
of the following collections; The Acarology Collection, Department
of Entomology, University of Georgia, Athens; the Institute of
Acarology, Ohio State University, Columbus; the remaining four
paratype females, larvae and nymphs in the author's collection.

DEVELOPMENT CHAETOTAXY

The developmental stages of Colinophilus wilsoni are typical for
the family, comprising the egg, larva, and two nymphal stages
prior to the adult. The deutonymphal stage is apparently absent in
all known syringophilids. A complete series of immatures leading
to the adult female of C. wilsoni was observed. The developmental
pattern of the leg setation of C. wilsoni exactly parallels that of
Syringophilus bipectinatus Heller, 1880 (Kethley, 1970).

Fig. 2. Colinophilus wilsoni, n. sp. Female, ventral aspect. Line scale equals 100m.

5

FIELDIANA: ZOOLOGY, VOLUME 65

J^ 4 ^

RG. 3. Colinophilus wilsoni, new species. Female, A, hypostomal region, ventral
aspect; B, peritreme; C, tarsus I, dorsal aspect; D, tarsus IV, antaxial, lateral aspect; E,
sigma, lateral aspect; F, phi, lateral aspect; G, omega, tarsus \, lateral aspect; H, a' , tarsus
I, lateral aspect; I, a", tarsus \, lateral aspect; J, detail of idiosomal seta. Line scale equals
20m each-upper scale applies to A-C and E-J, lower scale applies to D.

A description of the developmental chaetotactic pattern for the
opisthosomal region has not been given for any syringophilid
species. All ambulatory stages of C. wilsoni possess setae 12, 13, d3.
In addition to these dorsal setae, the larva possesses 14, 15, dS in
the dorsal series; al in the anal series; ^1 in the genital series; no
setae are present in the paragenital series. In the protonymph, a2 is
added to the anals and pg\ to the paragenitals. The dorsal series is
completed in the tritonymph with the addition of d5, and a
second pair (pg3) is added to the paragenital series. The adult
female differs from the tritonymph in the presence of pg2 andg2.
Although a male tritonymph was not present in the series
examined, representatives of the following transitional stages were
observed: a larva containing a fully developed protonymph within
the larval cuticle, a protonymph containing a fully developed
female tritonymph within the protonymphal cuticle, and female

Fig. 4. Colinophilus wilsoni, new species, Male, A, ventral aspect; B, opisthosoma,
lateral aspect; C, opisthosoma, dorsal aspect; D, aedeagus, lateral aspect. Line scale
equals 100m each-upper scale applies to A-C, lower scale applies to D.

8 FIELDIANA: ZOOLOGY, VOLUME 65

tritonymph containing a fully developed adult female within the
tritonymph cuticle.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I wish to express my sincere appreciation to Nixon Wilson,
University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, for providing host
material yielding the type series and to Tony Peterle, Ohio State
University, Columbus, for providing additional material from the
type host.

REFERENCES

KETHLEY, J. B.

1970. A revision of the family Syringophilidae (Prostigmata: Acarina). Contrib.
Amer. Entomol. Inst., 5(6), pp. 1-76.

1971. Population regulation in quill mites (Acarina: Syringophilidae). Ecology,
52(6), pp. 1113-1118.

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