New genus and three new species of quill mites (Acari: Syringophilidae: Picobiinae) parasitising puffbirds (Aves: Piciformes).

Abstract: Three new species, belonging to the newly proposed genus Pseudopicobia gen. n., inhabiting body quill feathers of puff-birds (Piciformes: Bucconidae), are described: P nonnula sp. n. from Nonnula frontalis (Sclater) in Colombia, P malacoptila sp. n. from Malacoptila panamensis Lafresnaye in Colombia and P hapaloptila sp. n. from Hapaloptila castanea (Verreaux) in Ecuador. The new genus differs from morphologically similar genus Picobia Heller, 1878 by the absence of the genital setae, absence of the genital lobes, solenidia phiI represented by microsetae, and by the presence of setiform solenidia sigma I. Syringophilid mites are recorded from birds of this family for the first time.