Halipeurus pelagodromae Palma

Palma, Ricardo L., 2011, New taxa, new synonymies and new host records in the louse genus Halipeurus (Insecta: Phthiraptera: Philopteridae) parasitic on petrels (Aves: Procellariiformes), Zootaxa 3017, pp. 1-45 : 11-16

Halipeurus pelagodromae Palma , new species

( Figs 6, 22, 24, 26–27, 32, 47, 63)

“ Halipeurus (“ Synnautes ”) pelagicus ” Timmermann, 1960: 321, fig. 3 (not Lipeurus pelagicus Denny, 1842 ).

Halipeurus pelagicus ; Timmermann, 1961: 413 (in part Halipeurus pelagodromae ; in part Lipeurus pelagicus Denny, 1842 ).

Halipeurus (Synnautes) pelagicus ; Edwards, 1961: 155 (in part Halipeurus pelagodromae ; in part Lipeurus pelagicus Denny, 1842 ).

Halipeurus (Synnautes) pelagicus ; Timmermann, 1965: 153, fig. 76 (in part Halipeurus pelagodromae ; in part Lipeurus pelagicus Denny, 1842 ).

Halipeurus (Synnautes) pelagicus ( Denny, 1842) s. l.; Pilgrim & Palma, 1982: 13 (in part Halipeurus pelagodromae ; in part Lipeurus pelagicus Denny, 1842 ).

“ Halipeurus (Synnautes) pelagicus ” Green & Palma, 1991: 14 (not Lipeurus pelagicus Denny, 1842 ).

Halipeurus (Synnautes) pelagicus ; Palma & Barker, 1996: 186 (in part Halipeurus pelagodromae ; in part Lipeurus pelagicus Denny, 1842 ).

Halipeurus (Synnautes) pelagicus ; Price et al., 2003: 188 (in part Halipeurus pelagodromae ; in part Lipeurus pelagicus Denny, 1842 ).

“ Halipeurus pelagicus Hap 3 ” Hammer et al., 2010: 1114 (not Lipeurus pelagicus Denny, 1842 ).

TYPE HOST: Pelagodroma marina maoriana Mathews, 1912 .

TYPE LOCALITY: Poor Knights Islands, New Zealand.

HOLOTYPE: 3 in MONZ.

DIAGNOSIS: Male: habitus as in Fig. 26; head as in Fig. 22; clypeal signature as in Fig. 6; terminalia (ventral view) as in Fig. 32; genitalia as in Fig. 63. Female: habitus as in Fig. 27; head as in Fig. 24; clypeal signature as for male; terminalia (ventral view) as in Fig. 47.

Measurements of both sexes as in Table 1. Head length/head width ratios: males 2.2; females 1.9. ETYMOLOGY: The species epithet pelagodromae is an adjectival possessive form derived from the generic name of the type host.

MATERIAL EXAMINED

Types

Ex Pelagodroma marina maoriana : Holotype 3 ( MONZ, AI.023444), allotype Ƥ ( MONZ, AI.023445) and 33, 3 Ƥ paratypes, Poor Knights Is, New Zealand, 27 Oct. 1975, S.M. Towle ( MONZ; RLCP). Other 171 paratypes as follows: 1 Ƥ, N.Z., 26 Nov. 1928, E.F. Stead ( MONZ); 1 Ƥ, 100 miles S.W. off Galápagos Is, Sep. 1930, CMNZ Av. 432 ( MONZ); 13, 3 Ƥ, Point Crozier, Auckland Is, N.Z., 14 Jan. 1943, R.A. Falla ( RLCP); 13, 5 Ƥ, Port Ross, Auckland Is, N.Z., 9 Feb. 1945, J.H. Sorensen ( MONZ); 143, 10 Ƥ, Chatham Is, N.Z., 3 Feb. 1954, E.W. Dawson, CMNZ Av. 12592 / 610 ( MONZ; RLCP); 23, 2 Ƥ, South East I., Chatham Is, N.Z., 22 Nov. 1970, A. Baker ( RLCP); 23, 2 Ƥ, South East I., Chatham Is, N.Z., N.Z., 5 Nov. 1972, G. Wilson ( RLCP); 1 Ƥ, Hongiara I., Alderman Is, N.Z., 10 Nov. 1972, D. Merton ( NZAC); 43, 1 Ƥ, Lizard I., Mokohinau Is, N.Z., 21 Nov. 1973, C.R. Veitch ( MONZ); 3 Ƥ, Ashburton, N.Z., 24 Apr. 1974, M. Lane ( RLCP); 33, 5 Ƥ, Rangatira I., Chatham Is, N.Z., 3 Jan. 1975, E.C. Young ( NZAC; MONZ); 113, 11 Ƥ, Motunau I., N.Z., 4 Jan. 1976, C.N. Challies ( MONZ; RLCP); 73, 7 Ƥ, Castlepoint, Wairarapa, N.Z., 31 Oct. 1978, P. Laing ( MONZ); 53, 9 Ƥ, Tuku Valley, Chatham I., N.Z., 27–29 Dec. 1978, S. Cotter ( MONZ); 23, 2 Ƥ, South East I., Chatham Is, N.Z., 2 Mar. 1979, Wildlife Service ( MONZ); 33, 3 Ƥ, at sea, 9 o 51 ’S- 88 o 41 ’W, 22 May 1980, Research Ship Sonne, Band C- 22055 ( MONZ); 53, 6 Ƥ, Tawhiti Rahi, Poor Knights Is, N.Z., 6–7 Dec. 1980, R.H. Kleinpaste ( NZAC); 43, 3 Ƥ, North Auckland, N.Z., Feb. 1981, D.E. Crockett ( MONZ); 63, 6 Ƥ, South East I., Chatham Is, N.Z., 20 Dec. 1982, S. Cotter ( MONZ); 43, 4 Ƥ, South East I., Chatham Is, N.Z., N.Z., 17 Jan. 1991, A.J.D. Tennyson ( MONZ); 63, 6 Ƥ, Tuku Valley, Chatham I., N.Z., 1 Nov. 1997, M.J. Imber ( MONZ).

Non-types

Ex Pelagodroma marina albiclunis Murphy & Irving, 1951: 1 Ƥ, Kermadec Is, N.Z., no date, T.H. Johnston ( MONZ); 83, 6 Ƥ, Macauley I., Kermadec Is, N.Z., 5 Dec. 1988, A.J.D. Tennyson ( MONZ); 23, 1 Ƥ, Haszard I., Kermadec Is, N.Z., 25 Aug. 2006, M.J. Imber ( MONZ).

Ex Pelagodroma marina dulciae Mathews, 1912: 13 , 1Ƥ, Reevesby I., South Australia, 10 Dec. 1936, H.T. Condon ( MONZ); 63, 6 Ƥ, Waikanae Beach, N.Z., 28 Dec. 1995, A.J.D. Tennyson ( MONZ).

Ex Pelagodroma marina eadesi Bourne, 1953: 1 Ƥ, Branco I., Cape Verde Is, 16 o 38 ’ 59 ”N- 24 o 40 ’ 59 ”W, 1 Apr. 1999, R.W. Furness ( MONZ).

Ex Pelagodroma marina hypoleuca (Moquin-Tandon, 1841) : 13, 1 Ƥ, Tenerife I., Canary Is, North Atlantic Ocean, 22 Mar. 1889 ( MONZ); 13, Selvagems Is, North Atlantic Ocean, 29 Apr. 1895 ( MONZ); 53, 5 Ƥ, Selvagems Is, North Atlantic Ocean, Jun. 1991, F. Zino ( MFMP; MONZ).

Ex Pelagodroma marina marina (Latham, 1790) : 113, 11 Ƥ, Gough I., South Atlantic Ocean, Nov. 1985, R.W. Furness ( MONZ).

Ex Pelagodroma marina (not identified to subspecies): 13, New Zealand, 10 Feb. 1936, N o 24 ( CMNZ); 13, 1 Ƥ, New Zealand, 26 Oct. 1937 ( CMNZ); 13, 1 Ƥ, Tollgate Is, New South Wales, Australia, 20 Nov. 1959, J.H. Calaby ( ANIC); 13, 1 Ƥ, Pacific Ocean, off Perú, 1 Apr. 1965, Watson & Angle ( KCEM); 1 Ƥ, 14 o 15 ’S- 83 o 30 ’W, 9 Mar. 1966, R.F. Cressey ( USNM); 23, 2 Ƥ, Foster Is, Bass Strait, Tasmania, Australia, 7 Dec. 1966, R.H. Green ( ANIC); 13, 1 Ƥ, Chile, 17 Jul. 1969, T.J. Lewis ( KCEM); 13, Chalky I., Tasmania, Australia, 29 Nov. 1979, R.H. Green ( KCEM); 23, 1 Ƥ, Craggy I., Bass Strait, Tasmania, Australia, 29 Nov. 1981, R.H. Green ( QVTA); 23, 5 Ƥ, Eddystone Point, Tasmania, Australia, 28 Dec. 1981, R.H. Green ( QVTA); 13, 2 Ƥ, Eddystone Lighthouse, Tasmania, Australia, 16 Jan. 1988, T. Scarborough ( QVTA); 13, New Zealand, no date, N o 40 ( CMNZ).

DISCUSSION: The type series of H. pelagodromae comprises 84 males and 95 females divided into 21 samples from six different host-breeding localities, plus several samples from birds taken at sea or found dead onshore. The type series together with non-types from all the other host subspecies show that, although some dimensions are wide ranging (see Table 1), H. pelagodromae is morphologically a uniform species, and close to H. pelagicus . Both sexes of these two species can be separated by the shape of the preantennal region of the head (compare Figs 22 and 24 with Figs 23 and 25 respectively) and the clypeal signatures (compare Fig. 6 with Fig. 7). Males can be further distinguished by the shape of their last abdominal segment and the length of distal ventral setae (compare Fig. 32 with Fig. 33). The female ventral terminalia of H. pelagodromae and H. pelagicus are very similar, but still distinguishable in some details (compare Fig. 47 with Fig. 48). Although the total body lengths of the two species are very close in both mean values and ranges, the head of H. pelagodromae is, on average, wider and longer than that of H. pelagicus in both sexes ( Table 1). However, head length/head width ratios are higher for H. pelagicus (males 2.4; females 2.1) than for H. pelagodromae (males 2.2; females 1.9) in both sexes. The overall shape of the male genitalia of H. pelagodromae is extremely similar to that of H. pelagicus ; although ranges of lengths of parameres overlap completely, the mean value for H. pelagicus is 10 % longer than for H. pelagodromae ( Table 1).

Percentage sequence divergence between Halipeurus pelagodromae and H. pelagicus (ex Oceanodroma castro ) calculated for genes 12 s and COI are 2.183 % and 5.026 % respectively (Vincent S. Smith pers. comm. 2007). Although those values are not high, they support the separation of the Halipeurus population from Pelagodroma marina into a taxon different from H. pelagicus . Considering that there are also morphological differences in both sexes, albeit not marked, I am confident in regarding this new taxon as a full species.