Ten passerine species were examined on three islands of the Azores (North Atlantic) during 2013 and 2014 in order to identify their feather mite assemblages. We recorded 19 feather mite species belonging to four families of the superfamily Analgoidea (Analgidae, Proctophyllodidae, Psoroptoididae and Trouessartiidae). A high prevalence of feather mite species was recorded on the majority of the examined host species. Only three passerine species (Sylvia atricapilla, Regulus regulus and Serinus canaria) presented the same full complex of mite species as commonly occurs in the plumage of their closest relatives in continental Europe. Passer domesticus presented the same limited fauna of feather mites living in the plumage as do its co-specifics in continental Europe. Carduelis carduelis bears the same feather mite species as do most of its continental populations in Europe, but it lacks one mite species occurring on this host in Egypt. Turdus merula, Pyrrhula murina and Fringilla coelebs are missing several mite species common to their continental relatives. This diminution could be explained by the founder effect, whereby a limited number of colonizing individuals did not transport the full set of feather mite species, or by the extinction of some mite species after initially having reached the Azores. The only individual of Motacilla cinerea sampled in this study presented a new host record for the mite species Trouessartia jedliczkai.

Dix espèces de passereaux ont été examinées sur trois îles des Açores (Atlantique Nord) en 2013 et 2014 afin d’identifier leurs assemblages d’acariens plumicoles. Nous avons trouvé 19 espèces d’acariens plumicoles appartenant à quatre familles de la superfamille Analgoidea (Analgidae, Proctophyllodidae, Psoroptoididae et Trouessartiidae). Une prévalence élevée d’espèces d’acariens plumicoles a été trouvée sur la majorité des espèces hôtes examinés. Seules trois espèces de passereaux (Sylvia atricapilla, Regulus regulus et Serinus canaria) présentaient le même complexe complet d’espèces d’acariens qui existe généralement en Europe continentale dans le plumage de leurs parents les plus proches. Passer domesticus présentait la même faune limitée d’acariens plumicoles vivant dans le plumage que ses conspécifiques en Europe continentale. Carduelis carduelis hébergeait les mêmes espèces d’acariens plumicoles que la plupart de ses populations continentales en Europe, mais n’avait pas une espèce d’acarien qui vit sur cet hôte en Égypte. Turdus merula, Pyrrhula murina et Fringilla coelebs n’hébergeaient pas plusieurs espèces d’acariens communes à leurs parents continentaux. Cette diminution pourrait s’expliquer par l’effet fondateur, dans lequel un nombre restreint d’individus colonisateurs ne transportent pas l’ensemble des espèces de leurs acariens plumicoles, ou par l’extinction de certaines espèces d’acariens après avoir atteint les Açores. Le seul individu de Motacilla cinerea échantillonné dans cette étude a présenté une nouvelle mention d’hôte pour l’espèce d’acarien Trouessartia jedliczkai.

CIBIO Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos InBIO Laboratório Associado Pólo dos Açores Universidade dos Açores 9501 801 Ponta Delgada Portugal

Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno Palackeho 1 3 61242 Brno Czech Republic

Zoological Institute Russian Academy of Sciences 199034 Saint Petersburg Russia

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Insect ectoparasites from wild passerine birds in the Azores Islands