Biodiversity of Feather Mites Parasitizing Passerines of the Lower Don Area and Quantitative Characteristics of Their Invasion

Abstract

This paper presents the results of long-term research of the biodiversity and quantitative invasion indices of feather mites associated with passerines in the Lower Don area. Between 2001 and 2019, we examined 2246 passerine specimens belonging to 85 species, 47 genera, and 23 families and comprising the majority of passerine species in the region. A total of 86 feather mite species belonging to 15 genera, 7 families, and 2 superfamilies (Analgoidea and Pterolichoidea) were found on 83 species of passerine hosts. A detailed taxonomic analysis of the parasite fauna has been carried out. Four species of feather mites are recorded here for the first time for the Russian fauna: Proctophyllodes balati Černý, 1978, P. remizicola Černý, 1979, P. cetti Badek, Mironov et Dabert, 2008 (Proctophyllodidae), and Corydolichus calandrellicolus Mironov et Sayakova, 2001 (Ochrolichidae). The faunistic complexes of feather mites of all the studied passerine families and their specific features in the study region have been analyzed. Parasitological indices of invasion (intensity and prevalence) for each feather mite species on each avian host have been estimated by statistical processing of the long-term quantitative data.