Abstract
Many regard the Pteronyssidae as a subfamily of Avenzoariidae Oudemans, 1905, but Mironov (2001) recently recognized the group as a family, based on the unique character of a ventral membrane on tarsi I, and other distinguishing features of the Pteronyssinae Oudemans, 1941 (vide: Gaud & Atyeo 1996) and the specificity their host associations. To date, 140 species in 23 genera are described (Mironov 2001, 2005). The genus Timalinyssus was established by Mironov (2001) to accommodate two species collected from babblers (Passeriformes: Timaliidae). It is closely related to Mouchetia Gaud but differs in the following characters: prodorsal shield is fused with the scapular shields, c2 setiform and short in both sexes; tarsi III are cone-like with acute apex in male; opisthosomal lobes are long and separated by narrow terminal cleft in female (Gaud & Atyeo 1996; Mironov 2001).
References
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Mironov, S.V. (1990) New species of the feather mites of the genus Mouchetia (Analgoidea, Avenzoariidae) from Passeriformes in Vietnam. Parazitologiya, 24, 268–278.
Mironov, S.V. (2001) Description of four new feather mite genera of the feather mite family Pteronyssidae Oudemans 1941 (Astigmata: Analgoidea) with notes on systematics of the family. Acarina, 9, 3–22.
Mironov, S.V. (2005) A new feather mite genus, Megalaimobius gen. n (Astigmata: Pteronyssidae) from the Asian barbets (Piciformes: Ramphastidae: Megalaiminae) in Vietnam. Acarina, 13, 117–126.