Mite Fauna of the Family Syringophilidae (Acariformes: Prostigmata) Parasitizing Darwin’s Finches in Galápagos Archipelago
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
This is a very attractive taxonomic paper, with good quality text and illustrations. The material is interesting and worthy of publication, and I only have a few small comments.
Introduction, lines 67–77 should be deleted. They appear to be copied from the journal's Instructions to Authors.
The Etymology is far too long - one short sentence is enough. Section 4.3, lines 269–280 are not relevant to the paper and can be deleted.
The heading at the beginning of the description should read Figures A–D, not A–E. Figures C and D should be added to the caption for Figure 1.
Line 189. The new species is compared with two other other species that are "most similar". It would be useful and easy to add a sentence describing how these two species and the new species differ from the rest of the genus.
Author Response
Answers to Reviewer 1
Introduction, lines 67–77 should be deleted. They appear to be copied from the journal's Instructions to Authors.
Thank you very much for noticing this, we removed this redundant paragraph.
The Etymology is far too long - one short sentence is enough. Section 4.3, lines 269–280 are not relevant to the paper and can be deleted.
Thank you, we shortened the etymology and deleted lines 269-280
The heading at the beginning of the description should read Figures A–D, not A–E. Figures C and D should be added to the caption for Figure 1.
Done
Line 189. The new species is compared with two other other species that are "most similar". It would be useful and easy to add a sentence describing how these two species and the new species differ from the rest of the genus.
Thank you. To underline all differences of between both A. fringillus and A. darwini and also from all other members of the genus Aulonastus, we mentioned thoroughly all relevant characters (lines 192-196), which are similar/different in both species. Thus, all other states of these traits can be used to distinguish them from other species of the genus.
Reviewer 2 Report
This is a well written manuscript that is very fluid and is red like a text book. I have made only minor suggestions to this manuscript. The theme of Galapagos is always interesting and brings to life the romantic idea we all have of biology and our work and is thus always an interesting topic.
Comments for author File: 
Comments.pdf
Author Response
Answers to Reviewer 2
Thank you very much for your kind review.
We have taken into consideration all remarks (marked on pdf-manuscript) of reviewer 2.
We also write a short explanation, why old museum collections are equally suitable for quill mite prevalence investigation as fresh samples and that our data are 120 years old, which is very interesting.
Reviewer 3 Report
On the line 141 is written A. geospizus sp.n. (1 A-E). I can not see this. But the new species is A. darwini only (1A-B) on the line 166.
Author Response
On the line 141 is written A. geospizus sp.n. (1 A-E). I can not see this. But the new species is A. darwini only (1A-B) on the line 166.
Thank you, we corrected the name.
