Strigiphilus stenocephalus, Shimada & Yoshizawa, 2020

Shimada, Megumi & Yoshizawa, Kazunori, 2020, A revision of Strigiphilus (Insecta: Phthiraptera: Philopteridae) from Japan, Zootaxa 4779 (4), pp. 501-521 : 514-515

Strigiphilus stenocephalus new species

( Figs 35–39 )

“ Philopterus rostratus Uchida, 1949: 542 ”. Not Docophorus rostratus Burmeister, 1838 .

Type host: Otus bakkamoena semitorques Temminck & Schlegel, 1844 .

Type locality: Aomori Prefecture, Japan .

Diagnosis. Strigiphilus stenocephalus is similar to S. tuleskovi but it can be distinguished by (1) its larger head (male: HL> 0.58, TW> 0.46; female: HL> 0.6, TW> 0.5), (2) shorter male genitalia compared with total body length ( Figs 35 , 40 ), and (3) the configuration of the mesosome of the male genitalia, in particular the shape of the dorsal genitalic plate ( Figs 37 , 42 ; see also Clayton & Price 1984, fig. 56).

Material examined. Holotype ♂: Ex Otus bakkamoena semitorques: Originally labeled as “ Strigiphilus / Ookonohazuku, (Tsukurimichi) Wada [in Kanji], 21. V. 1924 ” ( ELKU) . Paratypes: 1♂, 5♀, 1N, same data as for holotype ( ELKU). All type specimens are now slide-mounted and labeled as (1) “Holo (Para) type/ Strigiphilus stenocephalus / Shimada & Yoshi, 2020”; (2) “Tsukurimichi, (Aomori City)/ Aomori Pref. / 21. v. 1924 / S. Uchida / ex. Otus bakkamoena semitorques ” .

Description. Male. Head short and rounded, preconal head margin concave, CI = 0.807 –0.861 ( Fig.35 ); dorsal anterior plate longer than wide, approximately two–fifths of the head length ( Figs 36, 39 ); hyaline margin with a long lateral seta on each side; anterodorsal head margin with a long seta on each side; anteroventral head margin with 1 long and 2 short setae on each side; ventral preconal head margin with 2 long setae on each side; ocular seta long; temple with 2 long and 3 very short setae on each side. Prothorax trapezoidal, pronotum with a long posterolateral seta on each side; prosternum with 2 long and 2 short setae on each side; metanotum with 2 long and 1 short posterolateral setae on each side, and 7 long posteromedial setae; mesosternum with 3 medium setae; metasternum with 3 medium setae. Abdominal segments IV–VII with a long postspiracular seta; abdominal segments II–VIII with a long outer tergal seta; dorsal central setae of abdominal segments: II, 11; III, 14; IV, 14; V, 15; VI, 12; VII, 9; VIII, 4; ventral setae of abdominal segments: II, 12; III, 13; IV, 14; V, 11; VI, 7; VII, 2; VIII, 0; pleural setae of abdominal segments, on each side: II, 0; III, 0; IV, 1; V, 3; VI, 3; VII, 3; VIII, 4; terminal segment of abdomen with 2 long anteropleural setae on each side, the posteroventral margin with 9 long setae on each side, and the dorsal margin with 10 long and 6 short setae. Genitalia as in Fig. 37 . Measurements (n=2, all in mm). DAPW 0.162 –0.164; DAPL 0.238 –0.251; CL 0.068 –0.084; AHW 0.202 –0.205; PCHW 0.370 –0.384; TW 0.468 –0.512; HL 0.580 –0.595; PW 0.283 –0.288; MW 0.425 –0.435; AW 0.540 (n=1); TL 1.653 (n=1); GW 0.108 –0.111; GL 0.264 –0.301.

Female. As in Fig. 38 . Head and thorax as for male, except as follows: CI = 0.811 –0.855. Dorsal central setae of abdominal segments: II 8–13; III 14–16; IV 14–17; V 13–17; VI 11–13; VII 6–9; VIII 4–5; ventral setae of abdominal segments: II 4–10; III 12–15; IV 12–16; V 10–14; VI 7–13; VII 4; VIII 0; pleural setae of abdominal segment on each side: II 0; III 1–0; IV 1–3; V 3; VI 3–4; VII 3–4; VIII 3–4; terminal segment of abdomen with 4–6 long anteropleural setae on each side, posteroventral margin with 6–7 long setae on each side, and dorsal margin with 2–4 setae. Measurements (n=5, all in mm). DAPW 0.173 –0.197 ; DAPL 0.241 –0.281 ; CL 0.079 –0.095; AHW 0.213 –0.241; PCHW 0.399 –0.424 ; TW 0.527 –0.564; HL 0.620 –0.660; PW 0.315 –0.333 ; MW 0.474 –0.517 ; AW 0.542 –0.710; TL 1.887 –1.990; SGPW 0.270 –0.331 .

Etymology. The species epithet is formed by the suffix “ steno ” from Greek = narrow, and “ cephalus ” from Greek = head, referring to the relatively narrow head of these lice, in comparison with other species of Strigiphilus .

Remarks. Uchida (1949: 542) identified as Philopterus rostratus the specimens described here as the new species Strigiphilus stenocephalus . As noted above for Uchida’s specimens of S. cursor and S. laticephalus , the year of collection in Uchida's label attached to the specimens of S. stenocephalus does not agree with the published year, the label reads “1924” but the paper reads “1923”. All other data agree with Uchida’s (1949) text, except for the name of a locality, “Tsukurimichi”, written in the label but not in the paper. However, Uchida (1949: 542) gave the locality as a place in Aomori Prefecture, and Tsukurimichi belongs to that Prefecture. Therefore, we concluded that the above specimens are those examined and identified by Uchida (1949) as Philopterus rostratus .

Japanese host: Otus bakkamoena semitorques Temminck & Schlegel, 1844 .

Other hosts: None.

Figures

FIGURES 35–39. Strigiphilus stenocephalus: 35, male habitus. 36, male dorsal anterior plate. 37, male genitalia. 38, female habitus. 39, female dorsal anterior plate. Scale bar for 35 and 38: 0.5mm; for 36, 37 and 39: 0.1mm.

FIGURES 40–44. Strigiphilus tuleskovi: 40, male habitus. 41, male dorsal anterior plate. 42, male genitalia. 43, female habitus. 44, female dorsal anterior plate. Scale bar for 40 and 43: 0.5mm; for 41, 42 and 44: 0.1mm.