Feather mites (Acariformes: Proctophyllodidae and Trouessartiidae) from endemic passerines of Fernando de Noronha Islands, Brazil, with description of two new Trouessartia species.

Abstract

The feather mites (Acariformes: Astigmata) were investigated on the two passerine species, the Noronha elaenia Elaenia ridleyana Sharpe (Tyrannidae) and the red-eyed vireo Vireo gracilirostris Sharpe (Vireonidae), in the Island of Fernando de Noronha, Brazil,both are the only avian endemic in the island with the vulnerable conservation status. Our report includes the descriptions of two new species of the genus Trouessartia Canestrini (Trouessartiidae): T. noronhaensis sp. nov. from E. ridleyana, and Trouessartia insularis sp. nov. from V. gracilirostris. The latter mite is the first Trouessartia species described from a host of the family Vireonidae. We also report two species of the genus Tyrannidectes Mironov (Proctophyllodidae: Pterodectinae), one from each of the endemic hosts: Tyrannidectes reticulatus (ern), previously known from various Elaenia flycatchers in the mainland, is recorded for the first time on E. ridleyana, and T. vireonis (Hernandes & Pedroso), previously known only from V. olivaceus (Linnaeus), is recorded on V. gracilirostris.