Goniocotes sarissa, Gustafsson & Tian & Ren & Li & Sun & Zou, 2024

Gustafsson, Daniel R., Tian, Chunpo, Ren, Mengjiao, Li, Zhu, Sun, Xiuling & Zou, Fasheng, 2024, Separation of Goniocotes Burmeister, 1838, and Dictyocotes Kéler, 1940 (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera), with descriptions of four new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 968, pp. 1-36 : 18-22

Goniocotes sarissa sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:CFD6B564-DC4E-44FA-B2D1-3586CCCA76E6

Figs 11–15

Diagnosis

Goniocotes sarissa sp. nov. is most similar to Goniocotes kristinae , with which it shares the following characters: most sclerotized plates densely reticulated ( Figs 11–12 ); male os macrosetae, but female os microsetae ( Figs 11–12 ); male pteronotum with patch of multiple smns centrally ( Fig. 11 ); male tergopleurites II–IV with tps ( Fig. 11 ); ss absent on male tergopleurites VI–VIII ( Fig. 11 ); female tergopleurites II–IV with psps ( Fig. 12 ); female but not male with reticulated lateral accessory sternal plates on abdominal segments II–VI ( Fig. 12 ).

Goniocotes sarissa sp. nov. can be separated from G. kristinae by the following characters: male tergopleurites II–III with more numerous tps in G. sarissa ( Fig. 11 ) than in G. kristinae ; male tergopleurites VI with ss in G. sarissa ( Fig. 11 ), but without ss in G. kristinae ; proepimera fused medianly in G. sarissa ( Figs 11–12 ), but medianly separated in G. kristinae ; temples more flaring posteriorly in G. sarissa ( Figs 11–12 ) than in G. kristinae ; rhombic sclerite separate from pronotum in G. sarissa ( Figs 11–12 ), but fused to pronotum in G. kristinae .

Reticulated lateral accessory sternal plates are also known in Goniocotes albidus , where they are found in both male and female. However, in G. albidus the plates are small and rounded or oval, whereas in G. sarissa sp. nov. they are elongated. Moreover, G. albidus has a rounded, not flaring, temporal corner, males have dense rows of tps on all of tergopleurites II–VI and only a single smns on each side, and females lack psps on tergopleurites II–III.

Goniocotes diplogonus is probably also closely related to G. sarissa sp. nov. and G. rolandi , and share the reticulated lateral accessory sternal plates. No specimens of this species were examined. Kéler (1940: fig. 88) illustrated the male and female, but noted that his male was morphologically aberrant. Based on Kéler’s illustrations, G. sarissa can be separated from G. diplogonus by the following characters: temples more flaring and frons more flattened in G. sarissa ( Fig. 13 ) than in G. diplogonus (but temples drawn differently on each side of the head of the male by Kéler 1940); male pteronotum with patch of smns in G. sarissa ( Fig. 11 ), but this is apparently lacking in G. diplogonus ; male tergopleurites V–VI with ss in G. sarissa ( Fig. 11 ), but these apparently lacking in G. diplogonus ; tps present on male tergopleurite IV in G. sarissa ( Fig. 11 ), but apparently absent in G. diplogonus . However, G. diplogonus needs to be redescribed to confirm these characters.

Etymology

The specific name is derived from ‘ sárissa ’, Greek for the long pikes used in traditional phalanx formations. This refers to the patch of smns on the male pteronotum combined with the rows of tps on male tergopleurites II–IV, which are reminiscent of a loose, small phalanx.

Type material

Holotype (ex Tragopan caboti ) CHINA • ♂; Fujian Province; 30 Oct. 1990; collector unknown; box E0026011, slide 95; BMNH [second male from right in top row, marked with black dot on slide].

Paratypes (ex Tragopan caboti ) CHINA • 17 ♂♂, 21 ♀♀; same data as for holotype; BMNH • 5 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀; Fujian Province; 29 Sep. 1990; collector unknown; box E0026136, slides 24–25; BMNH • 2 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; Fujian Province, Jianou; 7 Jan. 1997; collector unknown; box E0026195, slide 4; BMNH • 5 ♂♂, 7 ♀♀; Guangxi Province; 10 Jan. 1995; collector unknown; box E0026136, slides 20–22; BMNH .

Type host

Tragopan caboti ( Gould, 1857) – Cabot’s tragopan.

Type locality

Fujian Province, China; no more detailed locality given on slides.

Description

Frons slightly flattened ( Fig. 13 ). Marginal carina broad, with clear attendant canals of preantennal setae. No internal line present. Preantennal nodi elongated, narrowed at base, broader in female than in male. Male os macrosetae, female os microsetae. Lateral temporal margins slightly concave, divergent posteriorly. Occipital bulge present, prominent; mts5 situated apically. Occipital nodi large.

Thoracic and abdominal segments and chaetotaxy as in Figs 11–12 . Rhombic sclerite not fused to pronotum. Postero-lateral corners of pronotum slightly extended laterally. Proepimera fused medianly. Postero-lateral corner of pteronotum not extended laterally; posterior margin gently rounded; smns as patch of 4–5 setae on each side in male, but as single seta on each side in female. Male tergopleurites extensive on segments II–VI, but much reduced on segments VII–VIII, with that of segments VIII lacking median extension; lateral tergopleurite IX+X small, arched, not reaching median sclerite IX+X. Lateral accessory sternal plates present in female, as large reticulated plates on segments II–VI. Male abdominal chaetotaxy: ss present on tergopleurites II–VI; tps present on tergopleurites II–IV; psps present on tergopleurites II–VII; aps absent; ps present on segments III–VIII. Female abdominal chaetotaxy: ss present on tergopleurites II–VIII; tps and aps absent; psps present on tergopleurites II–VII; ps present on segments III–VIII.

Male genitalia as in Fig. 14 ; solenoid, with no clear distal margin; pst not visible.

Female genitalia as in Fig. 15 ; subgenital plate absent. Vulval margin somewhat flattened medianly, with 8–11 short, slender vms and 3 longer, thorn-like vss on each side; 3–6 short, slender vos on each side. Subvulval plates absent.

Measurements as in Table 1 .

Remarks

A single female of a second, larger species of Goniocotes has also been seen from the same host (box E0026011, slide 95 at BMNH). More specimens are needed to identify this species, and verify that it occurs on T. caboti .

Figures

Fig. 11. Goniocotes sarissa sp. nov., holotype, ♂ (BMNH, slide 95, box E0026011). Habitus, dorsal and ventral views.

Fig. 12. Goniocotes sarissa sp. nov. Female habitus, dorsal and ventral views.

Figs 13–15. Goniocotes sarissa sp. nov. 13–14. Holotype, ♂ (BMNH, slide 95, box E0026011). 13. Head, dorsal and ventral views. 14. Genitalia, dorsal view. 15. Female genitalia, ventral view.