2020 Volume 52 Issue 2 Pages 113-123
Only two feather mite species, Compressalges nipponiae Dubinin, 1950 (Astigmata, Freyanoidea, Caudiferidae) and Freyanopterolichus nipponiae Dubinin, 1953 (Astigmata, Pterolichoidea, Kramerellidae), are described from the Crested Ibis Nipponia nippon (Temminck, 1835) in Russia. Both mites have never been reported from other birds and are probably species-specific to the Crested Ibis. However, after the original descriptions, no collection records on the type host have been reported. We investigated the feather mite species compositions on forty nine specimens of the Crested Ibis, comprising the original Japanese population (six specimens), specimens raised in Japan but originating from Shaanxi Province, China (thirty two specimens), birds from the original Korean Peninsula population (nine specimens), and two specimens of unknown origin. As the result, F. nipponiae was found in all areas, but C. nipponiae was not found on any of the samples originating from China (Shaanxi Province). Specifically, species composition was the same in Japan and the Korean Peninsula. However, compared to that of these two regions, that in inland China (Shaanxi Province) differed. Recent genetic analysis detected systematic differences in Crested Ibis depending on the regions. For understanding the detail, we need to survey the symbiotic status in China. However, our results indicate partially that the difference between symbiotic feather mite corresponds to differences in the origin among the Crested Ibis populations.
