New species of the feather mite genus Proctophyllodes Robin, 1877 (Acari: Analgoidea: Proctophyllodidae) from European Passerines (Aves: Passeriformes), with an updated checklist of the genus

Abstract

Four new species of the genus Proctophyllodes are described from European passerines: Proctophyllodes microstylifer sp. n. from Troglodytes troglodytes (Linnaeus) (Troglodytidae), P. plectrophenax sp. n. from Plectrophenax nivalis (Linnaeus) (Calcariidae), P. noskovi sp. n. from Loxia leucoptera (Gmelin) and P. pinicola sp. n. from Pinicola enucleator (Linnaeus) (Fringil-lidae). A brief overview of taxonomic history is provided and some problems in the systematics of the genus Proctophyllodes are discussed. My updated World checklist of Proctophyllodes species includes 161 valid species and has comments for newly established synonymies and several complicated taxonomic cases. New synonymy is established for the following species: Proctophyllodes arcticus Dubinin, 1952 syn. n. from Anthus cervinus (Pallas) is a junior synonym of P. anthi Vitzthum, 1922; P. mariaevallensis De Rojas, Ubeda, Guevara et Ariza, 1989 syn. n. from Emberiza cia Linnaeus is a junior synonym of P. ciae Bauer, 1939. New questionable synonymy is proposed for the following Proctophyllodes species incompletely described by early authors: Proctophyllodes profusus Robin, 1877 from Emberiza citrinella Linnaeus is a questionable senior synonym of P. ciae Bauer, 1939; Dermaleichus acredulinus Koch, 1841 from Aegithalos caudatus (Linnaeus) as a questionable senior synonym of P. clavatus Fritsch, 1961; and Analges acanthurus Giebel, 1871 from Carduelis carduelis (Linnaeus) is a questionable synonym of P. pinnatus (Nitzsch, 1818). Proctophyllodes sinensis Gaud et Atyeo, 1976 stat. n., originally described as a subspecies of P. troncatus Robin, 1877 from Passer montanus malaccensis Dubois, is elevated to the species rank.