Ptilonyssus vireonis (Dusbabek, 1969)

Fig 97 (a). Ptilonyssus vireonis female dorsal habitus.

Fig 97 (b). Ptilonyssus vireonis female dorsum.
 

Fig 97 (c). Ptilonyssus vireonis female venter.

Ptilonyssus (=Passeronyssus) vireonis (Dusbabek, 1969)

North American host records:
Vireonidae:
Vireo olivaceus, Red-eyed Vireo (Pence 1972, 1975; Knee et al. 2008)
Vireo solitarius, Solitary Vireo (Knee et al. 2008)

Diagnostic characteristics:
- two dorsal shields, podosomal and fused opisthosomal and pygidial shields
- peritreme absent
- posterior margin of podosomal shield with a medial lobe and lacking lateral lobes
- opisthosomal shield is almost as wide as long
- opisthosomal shield laterally excavated medially with excavation extending posteriorly
- posterior margin of opisthosomal shield is rounded
- anterior margin of opisthosomal shield with a medial lobe and lacking lateral lobes
- st1 on with st2 and st3 off the sternal shield
- subapical ventral setal pair on tarsus IV are long heavyset inflated spikes
- six pairs of ventral opisthosomal setae
- three pairs of mesolateral setae
- mesolateral setae all approximately equal in length, there are not two pairs of setae that are twice as long as another setal pair
- subposterior pair of dorsal podosomal setae are as long or almost as long as the longest mesolateral setae 
- paranal setae anterior to anal opening, paranal and postanal setae are unequal in length

Note:
- Ptilonyssus species are typically characterized as having peritremes, the exceptions are
P. angrensis, P. vireonis, and P. hoseini (Fain and Aitken, 1967) all of which lack
peritremes. These three species are still considered to be Ptilonyssus species because
of the ventroterminal placement of the anus, and the terminal placement of the gnathosoma.

References:
Dusbabek, F. 1969. New species of nasal mites (Acarina: Rhinonyssidae) from Cuban birds. Folia
        Parasitologica, 16: 213-226.
Knee, W., Proctor, H., and Galloway, T. 2008. Survey of nasal mites (Rhinonyssidae, Ereynetidae,
        and Turbinoptidae) associated with birds in Alberta and Manitoba, Canada. Canadian Entomologist,
        140: 364-379.
Pence, D.B. 1972. The nasal mites of birds from Louisiana III. The genus Ptilonyssus
        (Dermanyssidae: Rhinonyssinae) with description of a new species.
        Journal of Parasitology, 58: 790-795.
Pence, D.B. 1975. Keys, species and host list, and bibliography for nasal mites of
        North American birds (Acarina: Rhinonyssinae, Turbinoptinae,
        Speleognathinae, and Cytoditidae). Special Publications of the Museum Texas
        Tech University, 8: 1-148.

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