Genus Temnalges Gaud and Atyeo, 1967

Type species: Temnalges mesalgoides Gaud & Atyeo, 1967, by original designation.

The genus Temnalges was established by Gaud and Atyeo (1967) and originally included a single species, Temnalges mesalgoides from Porphyrio madagascariensis (Latham) (Gruiformes: Rallidae). Soon after, Gaud (1968) described one more species, T. megalonyx Gaud, 1968, also from a rallid host, Amaurornis flavirostra (Swainson). Gaud (1976) moved Psoroptoides bothrioplax Gaud, 1958 described from Chlidonias niger (Linnaeus) (Charadriiformes: Laridae) to the genus Temnalges. Further, Shereef and Rakha (1981) described two species from two more aquatic bird orders: T. amalichus Shereef and Rakha, 1981 from Plegadis falcinellus Linnaeus (Pelecaniformes: Threskiornithidae) and T. mahranus Shereef and Rakha, 1981 from Anas querquedula Linnaeus (Anseriformes: Anatidae).

Among eight genera of the subfamily Pandalurinae, the genus Temnalges is most clearly characterized by the following combination of features: in both sexes, internal vertical setae vi are absent (in species from rallids) or present, epimerites I are free, ventral extensions of tarsi I are poorly expressed or absent, extensions of tarsi II are variable in form, rounded or acute; in males, epimerites II and III are not connected to each other, coxal fields III are open, opisthosomal lobes are poorly expressed, without distinct digits and membranes, tarsus IV is shorter than corresponding tibia and without a digit bearing seta e; in females, only setae h2 are represented by macrosetae on the posterior margin of the body, and the hysteronotal shield is rectangular in form (Gaud & Atyeo 1967; Mironov 2004, 2007).