How to translate text using browser tools
1 October 2013 Diversity of Feather Mites (Acari: Astigmata) on Darwin's Finches
Scott M. Villa, Céline Le Bohec, Jennifer A. H. Koop, Heather C. Proctor, Dale H. Clayton
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Feather mites are a diverse group of ectosymbionts that occur on most species of birds. Although Darwin's finches are a well-studied group of birds, relatively little is known about their feather mites. Nearly 200 birds across 9 finch species, and from 2 locations on Santa Cruz Island, Galápagos, were dust-ruffled during the 2009 breeding season. We found 8 genera of feather mites; the most prevalent genus was Mesalgoides (53–55%), followed by Trouessartia (40–45%), Amerodectes and Proctophyllodes (26–33%), Xolalgoides (21–27%), Analges and Strelkoviacarus (0–6%), and Dermoglyphus (2–4%). There was no evidence for microclimatic effects (ambient temperature and relative humidity) on mite diversity. Host body mass was significantly correlated with mean feather mite abundance across 7 of 8 well-sampled species of finches. Certhidea olivacea, the smallest species, did not fit this pattern and had a disproportionately high number of mites for its body mass.

Scott M. Villa, Céline Le Bohec, Jennifer A. H. Koop, Heather C. Proctor, and Dale H. Clayton "Diversity of Feather Mites (Acari: Astigmata) on Darwin's Finches," Journal of Parasitology 99(5), 756-762, (1 October 2013). https://doi.org/10.1645/12-112.1
Received: 16 October 2012; Accepted: 1 May 2013; Published: 1 October 2013
RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS
Get copyright permission
Back to Top