Feather mites of the genera Dubininia and Cacatualges (Acari: Xolalgidae) associated with parrots (Aves: Psittaciformes) of the Old World
Author
Mironov, Sergey V.
Author
Ehrnsberger, Rainer
Author
Dabert, Jacek
text
Zootaxa
2017
4272
4
451
490
journal article
32932
10.11646/zootaxa.4272.4.1
16e6592c-5bca-43e5-b018-2f02a9400a5a
1175-5326
800966
592E518D-8D1E-48EF-9866-9941E542724A
Genus
Cacatualges
Dabert, Badek and Skoracki, 2007
Type species:
Cacatualges microdiscus
Dabert, Badek and Skoracki, 2007
by original designation.
The genus
Cacatualges
was recently established for a single species,
Cacatualges microdiscus
Dabert, Badek and Skoracki, 2007
, found on cockatoos of the genus
Cacatua
Vieillot
in the Australian region (Dabert
et al
. 2007). This genus is certainly close to
Dubininia
and
Fainalges
, but apparently is more derived in some morphological features. Its main discriminating features are a strong reduction of the ambulacral disc on tarsi II in both sexes and on tarsi III and IV in females, loss of the ambulacral disc on pretarsus IV and an entire pretarsus III in males. The reduction of ambulacral discs on tarsi II in both sexes and on tarsi III, IV in females is followed by strengthening and heavy sclerotization of the ambulacral stalks on these segments, which take a claw-like form. In males of the genus
Cacatualges
, the whole of tarsus III resembles a large claw (
Fig. 28
C).
The genus
Cacatualges
is apparently restricted to cockatoos (
Psittaciformes
:
Cacatuidae
). In the present paper we describe one new species from a cockatoo of the genus
Probosciger
Kuhl.