title: Four new species of Aulonastus Kethley, 1970 (Acari: Syringophilidae) from North American passerines.
abstract: Four new species belonging to Aulonastus Kethley, 1970 (Acari: Prostigmata: Syringophilidae), which are found inside the quills of body feathers of North American passerines (Aves: Passeriformes), are described and figured: A. emberizicus n. sp. from Ammodramus savanarum (Gmelin) (Emberizidae) (type-host) in Texas, Zonotrichia atricapilla (Gmelin) (Emberizidae) in California and Passerculus sandwichensis (Gmelin) (Emberizidae) in Texas; A. euphagus n. sp. from Euphagus cyanocephalus (Wagler) (Icteridae) in California; A. pirangus n. sp. from Piranga ludoviciana (Wilson) (Cardinalidae) in California; and A. sturnellus n. sp. from Sturnella magna (Linnaeus) (Icteridae) in Texas. A key to females of the known species of Aulonastus is presented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Morphology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61-614, Poznan, Poland. skoracki@amu.edu.pl
authors.forename: Maciej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Skoracki
authors.forename: Sarah A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Hendricks
authors.forename: Greg S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Spicer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005241:Feathers / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D008297:Male; D008924:Mite Infestations / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008925:Mites / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000145:classification*; D009656:North America; D046109:Passeriformes / Q000469:parasitology*; D013045:Species Specificity