Redescription of Picidectes chapini and synonymy of Picidectes and Toucanectes (Acari: Hypoderatidae) from piciform...

A redescription of Picidectes chapini (Spurlock & Emlen) Fain is presented with particular attention to the underscribed details of idiosomal and leg chaetotaxy, solenidiotaxy, and size variation in the range of measured characters of the species. This is the second record of P. chapini from the northern flicker Colaptes auratus (L.) in North America. Aside from the mediolateral constriction just posterior to epimera IV, the morphology, chaetotaxy, and solenidiotaxy of P. chapini are very similar to those of the two known species in the genus Toucanectes Fain described from a toucan and woodpecker (both Piciformes), respectively. Thus, the genus Toucanectes is recognized as a junior synonym of Picidectes. The genus Picidectes is redescribed to include P. chapini as the type species, and P. ramphastos Fain n. comb. and P. dryocopi Pence n. comb.