| abstract | A new genus of mites called Sunknemidocoptes gen.n. (Acarina: Knemidokoptidae), parasites of Columbiformes birdsʼ quills and feather follicles, together with three new species of this genus is described from Umbria, Italy: Sunknemidocoptes simonae sp.n., Sunknemidocoptes elisae sp.n., Sunknemidocoptes gabrielorum sp.n. The females of these mites are characterised by epimera I fused in U-shape or V-shape, by the presence of perigenital papillae and lateral propodosomal shields connected to coxae I. The following characters were not previously observed in Knemidokoptidae: the fusion of epimera III and IV present in S. elisae sp.n. females and the fusion of epimera I present in S. gabrielorum sp.n. tritonymph. Furthermore, contrarily to all mites known of Knemidokoptidae family, in the genus Sunknemidocoptes gen.n. three nymphal stages are present: protonymph, deutonymph and tritonymph. |