Feather mites of the subfamily Proctophyllodinae (Acari: Proctophyllodidae) from passerines (Aves: Passeriformes) in Costa Rica

The paper provides new data on systematics and host associations of feather mites of the subfamily Proctophyllodinae (Astigmata: Proctophyllodidae) recorded on passerine birds (Passeriformes) in Costa Rica. A total of 25 proctophyllodine species of six genera have been recorded, of which 19 new species are described: Anisophyllodes cuneiformis sp. n. from Sittasomus griseicapillus (Vieillot) (Furnariidae), Atrichophyllodes latilobus sp. n. from Hylophylax naevioides (Lafresnaye) (Thamnophilidae), Nycteridocaulus attila sp. n. from Attila spadiceus (Gmelin, JF) (Tyrannidae), N. hylophylax sp. n. from Hylophylax naevioides (Lafresnaye) (Thamnophilidae), N. ketourus sp. n. from Thryophilus rufalbus (Lafresnaye) (Troglodytidae), N. leptopogoni sp. n. from Leptopogon superciliaris Tschudi (Tyrannidae), N. myiobius sp. n. from Myiobius sulphureipygius (Sclater, PL) (Tyrannidae), N. myioborus sp. n. from Myioborus miniatus (Swainson) (Parulidae), N. platyrinchi sp. n. from Platyrinchus cancrominus Sclater, PL and Salvin (Tyrannidae), Platyacarus caulifer sp. n. from Glyphorynchus spirurus (Vieillot) (Furnariidae), Pl. dendrocinclae sp. n. from Dendrocincla homochroa (Scalter, PL) (Furnariidae), Pl. dendrocolapti sp. n. and Pl. picumnus sp. n. from Dendrocolaptes picumnus Lichtenstein, MHK (Furnariidae), Pl. sclerurus sp. n. from Sclerurus mexicanus Sclater, PL (Furnariidae), Proctophyllodes arremoni sp. n. from Arremon brunneinucha (Lafresnaye) (Emberizidae), Pr. euphoniae sp. n. from Euphonia hirundinacea Bonaparte (Fringillidae), Pr. vesicularis sp. n. from E. anneae Cassin (Fringillidae), Pr. parkesiae sp. n. from Parkesia motacilla (Vieillot) (Parulidae), and Pr. strictophyllus sp. n. from Coereba flaveola (Linnaeus) (Thraupidae). The female of Anisophyllodes pipromorphae Atyeo, 1967, previously known from two forms of males only, is described for the first time. Five new host associations are recorded for the following mites: Anisophyllodes pipromorphae from Mionectes olivaceus Lawrence (Tyrannidae), Diproctophyllodes dielytra (Trouessart, 1885) from Chiroxiphia linearis (Bonaparte) and Corapipo altera Hellmayr (Pipridae), Nycteridocaulus pectinatus Atyeo, 1966 from Tolmomyias sulphurescens (von Spix) (Tyrannidae), and Proctophyllodes thraupis Atyeo and Braasch, 1966 from Tangara icterocephala (Bonaparte) (Thraupidae). Two species, Proctophyllodes habiae Atyeo and Braasch, 1966 from Habia rubica (Vieillot) (Cardinalidae) and Platyacarus sittasomi Hernandes et al., 2007 from Sittasomus griseicapillus (Vieillot) (Furnariidae), are recorded in Costa Rica for the first time. New diagnoses and keys to all currently known species are provided for the genera Anisophyllodes Atyeo, 1967, Atrichophyllodes Hernandes et al., 2007, Nycteridocaulus Atyeo, 1966, and Platyacarus Kudon, 1982. Two new species groups, caulifer and minor, are established within the genus Platyacarus. The history of taxonomic investigations of proctophyllodine feather mites is briefly presented. We summarize host associations with passerine birds of the New World for these proctophyllodine genera and species, excluding the genus Proctophyllodes.

Coccidial dispersion across trans- and cis-Andean antbirds (Passeriformes: Thamnophilidae): Isospora sagittulae (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from nonsympatric hosts

Isospora sagittulae McQuistion and Capparella, 1992 (Protozoa: Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) is reported from White-throated Antbirds (Gymnopithys salvini (Berlepsch, 1901)) and from Common Scale-backed Antbirds (Willisornis poecilinotus (Cabanis, 1847)), which are thamnophilid birds from the Brazilian Amazon. Its oocysts are ovoidal to ellipsoidal, 28.4 μm × 22.4 μm, with smooth, bilayered wall, 1.1 μm. Micropyle and oocyst residuum are absent, but one to three polar granules are present. Sporocysts are subspherical to ovoidal, 15.0 μm × 12.6 μm. Stieda body thin and flattened and substieda body triangular to round. Sporocyst residuum composed of scattered granules. Sporozoites with refractile body and nucleus. This coccidium was originally described from the Spotted Antbird (Hylophylax naevioides (Lafresnaye, 1847)), a trans-Andean antbird that is not sympatric with G. salvini and W. poecilinotus, which are cis-Andean antbirds from lowland Amazon forest; therefore, this current study presents some assumptions to explain the dispersion of I. sagittulae among antbird species.

Five new species of Myrsidea Waterston (Phthiraptera: Menoponidae) from antshrikes and antbirds (Passeriformes: Thamnophilidae)

Five new species of Myrsidea parasitic on members of the avian family Thamnophilidae are described herein. They and their type hosts are Myrsidea klickai ex the Northern Slaty Antshrike, Thamnophilus punctatus (Shaw, 1809), M. dacostai ex the Barred Antshrike, Thamnophilus doliatus (Linnaeus, 1764), M. spellmani ex the Spotted Antbird, Hylophylax naevioides (Lafresnaye, 1847), M. milleri ex the Rufous-throated Antbird, Gymnopithys rufigula (Boddaert, 1783), and M. mayermae ex the White-faced Antbird, Pithys albifrons (Linnaeus, 1766). A portion of the mitochondrial COI gene for some of these and other species of Myrsidea was sequenced to compare genetic divergences.

Influence of Predation on Nest-Site Reuse by an Open-Cup Nesting Neotropical Passerine

Nest-site fidelity is associated with previous reproductive success in birds but is thought to be rare among territorial, open-cup nesting passerines. I investigated nest reuse decisions by Spotted Antbirds (Hylophylax naevioides) in central Panama. A quarter of all nest attempts were located at a previously used nest site, often within an extant nest structure. Within a breeding season, pairs preferred to reuse previously successful nest sites overall and were more likely to return to these sites for a consecutive nest attempt than they were to previously depredated nest sites. The fates of two nest attempts at the same location, however, were not associated with each other. The preference of Spotted Antbirds for reusing successful nests may be a short-term strategy to avoid sites recently discovered by predators, as pairs did reuse previously depredated nest sites for later nest attempts and did not prefer successful nest sites from previous breeding seasons.Influencia de la Depredación sobre la Reutilización de Sitios de Nidificación en un Ave Paserina Neotropical que Construye Nidos de Copa AbiertaResumen. La fidelidad al sitio de nidificación está asociada con el éxito reproductivo previo en las aves, pero se cree que ésta no es común entre especies Passeriformes territoriales que construyen nidos de copa abierta. En este estudio investigué las decisiones de reutilización de nidos en Hylophylax naevioides en el centro de Panamá. Una cuarta parte de todos los intentos de nidificación se ubicaron en lugares previamente empleados para nidificar, a menudo al interior de estructuras de nidificación remanentes. Dentro de una temporada reproductiva, las parejas prefirieron reutilizar sitios de nidificación exitosos en general y fueron más propensas a regresar a esos sitios para intentos de nidificación consecutivos, que a sitios en donde sus nidos fueron depredados. Sin embargo, los resultados de dos intentos de nidificación ocurridos en el mismo sitio no estuvieron asociados entre sí. La preferencia de emplear repetidamente sitios existosos podría ser una estrategia de corto plazo empleada por H. naevioides para evitar lugares recientemente descubiertos por depredadores, ya que las parejas reutilizaron sitios donde sufrieron depredación en intentos posteriores y no prefirieron lugares exitosos de estaciones reproductivas previas.