New feather mites of the subfamily Pterodectinae (Acariformes: Proctophyllodidae) from passerines (Aves: Passeriformes) from Chile and Cuba

Ten new species of the feather mite subfamily Pterodectinae (Analgoidea: Proctophyllodidae) are described from New World passeriforms collected in Chile and Cuba: Amerodectes caribaeus sp. n. from Contopus caribaeus (Linnaeus) (Tyrannidae), A. contopus sp. n. from C. virens (Linnaeus) (Tyrannidae), A. plumbeus sp. n. from Turdus plumbeus Linnaues (Turdidae), A. phrygilus sp. n. from Phrygilus patagonicus Lowe (Emberizidae), A. sicalis sp. n. from Sicalis luteola (Sparman) (Emberizidae), A. wilsoniae sp. n. from Wilsonia citrina (Boddaert) (Parulidae), Metapterodectes leptasthenurae sp. n. from Leptasthenura aegithaloides (Kittlitz) (Furnariidae), Tyrannidectes anairetes sp. n. from Anairetes parulus (Kittlitz) (Tyrannidae), T. cinclodes sp. n. from Cinclodes patagonicus (Gmelin) (Furnariidae), T. falcklandicus sp. n. from Turdus falcklandii Quoy and Gaimard (Turdidae). Keys to all currently described species of the genera Amerodectes Valim and Hernandes, 2010, Metapterodectes Mironov, 2008, and Tyrannidectes Mironov, 2008 and improved diagnoses of these genera are proposed. Brief comments on the suprageneric systematics of the family Proctophyllodidae are given.

Harvest-Related Edge Effects on Prey Availability and Foraging of Hooded Warblers in a Bottomland Hardwood Forest

The effects of harvest-created canopy gaps in bottomland hardwood forests on arthropod abundance and, hence, the foraging ecology of birds are poorly understood. I predicted that arthropod abundance would be high near edges of group-selection harvest gaps and lower in the surrounding forest, and that male Hooded Warblers (Wilsonia citrina) foraging near gaps would find more prey per unit time than those foraging in the surrounding forest. In fact, arthropod abundance was greater >100 m from a gap edge than at 0–30 m or 30–100 m from an edge, due to their abundance on switchcane (Arundinaria gigantea); arthropods did not differ in abundance among distances from gaps on oaks (Quercus spp.) or red maple (Acer rubrum). Similarly, Hooded Warbler foraging attack rates were not higher near gap edges: when foraging for fledglings, attack rate did not differ among distances from gaps, but when foraging for themselves, attack rates actually were lower 0–30 m from gap edges than 30–100 m or >100 m from a gap edge. Foraging attack rate was positively associated with arthropod abundance. Hooded Warblers apparently encountered fewer prey and presumably foraged less efficiently where arthropods were least abundant, i.e., near gaps. That attack rates among birds foraging for fledglings were not affected by distance from gap (and hence arthropod abundance) suggests that prey availability may not be limiting at any location across the forest, despite the depressing effects of gaps on arthropod abundance.Efectos de Borde Relacionados con la Cosecha Forestal sobre la Disponibilidad de Presas y el Forrajeo de Wilsonia citrina en un Bosque Leñoso RibereñoResumen. El efecto de la creación de claros en el dosel por la cosecha de árboles en bosques leñosos ribereños sobre la abundancia de artrópodos y por lo tanto sobre la ecología de forrajeo de las aves es poco entendido. En este estudio, predije que la abundancia de artrópodos sería mayor cerca de los bordes de claros producidos por tala selectiva en grupo y menor en el bosque circundante, y que los machos de Wilsonia citrina que forrajean cerca de los claros encontrarían más presas por unidad de tiempo que aquellos que forrajean en el bosque circundante. De hecho, la abundancia de artrópodos fue mayor a más de 100 m del borde de los claros que entre 0 y 30 m o entre 30 y 100 m desde un borde, debido a la abundancia de los artrópodos sobre Arundinaria gigantea. La abundancia de artrópodos sobre Quercus spp o Acer rubrum no fue diferente entre distintas categorías de distancia desde los claros. De manera similar, las tasas de ataque de forrajeo de W. citrina no fueron mayores cerca de los bordes de los claros: cuando se encontraban forrajeando para los polluelos, las tasas de ataque no fueron diferentes entre las distancias desde los claros, pero cuando se encontraban forrajeando para ellos mismos, las tasas de ataque fueron menores entre 0 y 30 m desde el borde de un claro a más de 30 m de un borde de un claro. La tasa de ataques de forrajeo se relacionó positivamente con la abundancia de artrópodos. Aparentemente, W. citrina encontró menos presas y posiblemente forrajeó de una manera menos eficiente donde los artrópodos eran menos abundantes, i.e., cerca de los claros. El hecho de que la tasa de ataque por parte de individuos que estaban forrajeando para sus polluelos no fuera afectada por la distancia a los bordes (y por lo tanto por la abundancia de artrópodos) sugiere que la disponibilidad de presas no parece ser limitante en ningún lugar del bosque, a pesar del efecto negativo de los claros sobre la abundancia de artrópodos.

Determinants of Between-Season Site, Territory, and Mate Fidelity in Hooded Warblers (Wilsonia Citrina)

We examined nestling paternity, fate of nests, and prior experimental manipulations in Hooded Warblers (Wilsonia citrina) to test the hypothesis that those factors influenced the warblers' fidelity to their previous breeding site (general breeding area), territory (specific nesting and feeding area within general breeding area), and mate the following year. Field re-search was conducted at Hemlock Hill Biological Research Area in northwestern Pennsylvania from 1991 to 1998. Hooded Warblers returned to Hemlock Hill at an average annual rate of 47% over seven years. Significantly more males than females returned in 1992 and 1995, but overall difference between male and female return rates was not significant. Frequency of males returning to their former territory (58%) was greater than frequency of females returning to their former territory (29%). When mates from the previous year returned, remated pairs (n = 13) occupied their former territory more often than they occupied a new territory. Average number of young fledged per nest tended (P = 0.06) to be greater for females that returned to Hemlock Hill than for females that did not return. There was also a tendency (P = 0.09) for females that returned to the breeding site to have more nests with extrapair young than those that did not return. Territory fidelity and mate fidelity for both males and females were not related to prior nest fate or paternity of young. During those years, we conducted two relatively long-lasting experimental manipulations: vegetation removal from nest sites and radiotagging. Those experimental manipulations did not significantly affect future selection of breeding site, territory, or mate. Thus, whereas male Hooded Warblers demonstrated greater territory fidelity than females, only females were possibly affected by factors that we examined from the previous year, specifically extrapair fertilization and prior reproductive success or failure.