Five new feather mite species of the genus Trouessartia Canestrini are described from South American birds: Trouessartia latiducta sp. nov. from Phylloscartes kronei (Tyrannidae), T. basileuteri sp. nov. from Basileuterus culicivorus (Parulidae), T. sicaliae sp. nov. from Sicalis flaveola (Emberizidae), T. savanae sp. nov. from Tyrannus savana (Tyrannidae), and T. picumni from Picumnus fulvescens (Picidae). The latter species is the first representative of the genus described from a bird of the order Piciformes.

Bdellidae (Trombidiformes: Prostigmata) are moderate to large sized predatory mites that inhabit soil, leaves, leaf litter, and intertidal rocks. They are readily recognized by an elongated, snout-like gnathosoma and by elbowed pedipalps bearing two (one in Monotrichobdella Baker & Balock) long terminal setae. Despite being among the first mites ever described, with species described by Carl Linnaeus, the knowledge about bdellids has never been compiled into a taxonomic catalogue. Here we present a catalogue listing 278 valid species; for each species we include distribution information, taxonomic literature, and type depository institutions. The genus Rigibdella Tseng, 1978 is considered a junior synonym of Cyta von Heyden, 1826, and Bdellodes Oudemans, 1937 is considered a junior synonym of Odontoscirus Tohr, 1913. Illustrated keys to subfamilies and genera are presented, as well as keys to species of each genus.

We present a checklist of feather mites known from native birds in Brazil. The list was compiled from a survey of Brazilian records published in indexing databases (e.g. Zoological Records) and from the available literature. To date, 185 nominal species representing 21 families have been recorded from Brazilian birds. Associations with 15 bird orders were found: Anseriformes, Apodiformes, Caprimulgiformes, Ciconiiformes, Columbiformes, Cuculiformes, Falconiformes, Galliformes, Gruiformes, Opisthocomiformes, Passeriformes, Piciformes, Psittaciformes, Tinamiformes and Trogoniformes. These birds sum to 218 species, which represent only 12.4% of all bird species occurring in Brazil. The feather mite fauna of several species-rich and important bird orders in Brazil remain unexplored, including Cathartiformes, Charadriiformes, Coraciiformes, Galbuliformes and Strigiformes. We estimate that between 900 and 5300 feather mite species are expected to occur on Brazilian birds, which is at least five times greater than current records. The training of researchers with expertise in the taxonomy of this group of mites should be stimulated so that there is a compatible number of taxonomists to discover and describe the almost unexplored feather mite fauna in Brazil.

On the identity of two species of Proctophyllodidae (Acari: Astigmata: Analgoidea) described by Herbert F. Berla in Brazil, with a description of Lamellodectes gen. nov. and a new species

Ornithonyssus bursa, known as the “tropical fowl mite”, is a hematophagous mite of domestic and wild birds, occasionally biting humans. Infestation on humans occurs mainly when the abandoned nests are close to homes, or by manipulation of infested birds by humans. In Brazil, this species occurs in the south and southeast of the country. In the present study we are reporting bites on humans, new localities records, host associations, and molecular information of O. bursa.

Six new species and two new genera of feather mites are described from the hoatzin Opisthocomus hoazin (Müller) (Opisthocomiformes: Opisthocomidae) in Brazil: Gymnolichus lacrimosus sp. n., G. latihumeralis sp. n. (Xolalgidae), Temnalges hoazin sp. n., T. atelodiscus sp. n. (Psoroptoididae), Ciganalichus boasfilhoi gen. n., sp. n., and Hoazinacarus anisosetus gen. n., sp. n. (Pterolichidae). Illustrations of two previously known species, Opisthocomacarus umbellifer (Trouessart, 1899) and Stakyonemus hystrix (Trouessart, 1899) are provided. We show that the hoatzin bears a much richer feather mite fauna than previously thought and presently includes eight mite species from three families: Xolalgidae, Psoroptoididae (Analgoidea) and Pterolichidae (Pterolichoidea). They represent two morpho-ecological groups: (1) mites inhabiting the wing and tail feathers, and (2) mites living in downy and body contour feathers. We hypothesize that these mites represent a native feather mite fauna of the hoatzin, inherited from its ancestors and existing on this bird for a long time. The controversial and unresolved relationships of this bird with other bird taxa are briefly discussed in the light of the new acarofauna discovered.