Report of eight feather mite species (Acari: Astigmata) from seven bird species of Accipitriformes and Strigiformes in Japan, with new records of five mite species to the country

Abstract

From 2012 to 2021, bird surveys were carried out from Kyushu to Hokkaido, Japan, including a zoo, to find feather mites (Analgoidea Trouessart & Mégnin, 1884 and Pterolichoidea Gaud & Atyeo, 1978) from raptors including owls. In this study, we detected eight feather mite species as following: Glaucalges tytonis Dabert, Ehrnsberger & Dabert, 2008, Hieracolichus nisi (Canestrini, 1878), Kramerella bubonis (Lönnfors, 1937), Kramerella aprotuberantia Dubinin, 1953, Dermonoton longiventer (Mégnin & Trouessart, 1884), Petitota aluconis (Buchholz, 1869), Pseudalloptinus aquilinus (Trouessart, 1884) and Pseudalloptinus milvulinus (Trouessart, 1884).Two of the mite species, G. tytonis and Ps. aquilinus, were only sampled from bird hosts born in the zoo of Japan but they probably originated from oversea. The five of the eight species, Hi. nisi, K. bubonis, K. aprotuberantia, D. longiventer and Pe. aluconis were first reported in Japan. Among them, Hi. nisi was detected only from endangered bird host species Aquila chrysaetos (Linnaeus, 1758)(EN: Endangered). For the mite species, it is important to examine the status of their populations to consider the extinction risk in Japan, because they may be threatened with extinction simultaneously with the decline of the host populations in the future. Three species of mites, G. tytonis, D. longiventer, Hi. nisi were first reported from the hosts Bubo bubo (Linnaeus, 1758), Strix uralensis Pallas, 1771, Haliaeetus albicilla (Linnaeus, 1758), respectively. The Ps. milvulinus was also the first reported from the hosts Buteo japonicus Temminck & Schlegel, 1844 and A. chrysaetos.