Emersoniella persei Gustafsson & Bush

Gustafsson, Daniel R. & Bush, Sarah E., 2014, Three new species of chewing lice of the genus Emersoniella Tendeiro, 1965 (Insecta: Phthiraptera: Ischnocera: Philopteridae) from Papua New Guinean kingfishers and kookaburras (Aves: Coraciiformes: Alcedinidae), Zootaxa 3796 (3), pp. 528-544 : 536-539

Emersoniella persei Gustafsson & Bush , new species

( Figs 4 a–d)

Type host. Tanysiptera danae Sharpe, 1880 ( Coraciiformes : Alcedinidae ) – brown-headed paradise-kingfisher.

Diagnosis. This species keys out as Emersoniella galateae in the key of Emerson & Price (1978), which is also from a host in the genus Tanysiptera . The two louse species are very similar, but differ in the abdominal chaetotaxy of both sexes, the female vulval chaetotaxy, and the shape of the head and the male genitalia.

Description. Head elongatedly triangular, with occiput and frons shallowly concave ( Fig. 4 a). Marginal carina interrupted laterally and submedianly, with median section displaced posteriorly forming a crescent-shaped thickening of the dorsal anterior plate. Premarginal carina comparatively long, slender. Hyaline margin broad, continuous with dorsal preantennal suture that arises from lateral interruptions of marginal carina, and then continues posterior to approach, and in some specimens reach, the ADS, but sutures do not cut off dorsal anterior plate from main head plate medianly. Ventral carinae straight and convergent, with nodi median to AS 1, anterior to which they are diffuse, and not clearly continuous with premarginal carinae. AS 2-3 located on posterior end of premarginal carina, AS 1 and DSMS located near anterior end of postmarginal carina; all except AS 2 with attendant canals in marginal carina. VSMS2 more anterior than VSMS1, both more anterior than AVS3. Preantennal nodi large, turned medianly. Coni shorter than scapes. Preocular nodi elongated, somewhat sinuous. Postocular nodi distinct, smaller than preocular. OS and POS both on eye, POS at posterior margin. One pair each of PNS and PTS, both long, stout. Marginal temporal carina generally slender, with more or less even thickness around postantennal head. MTS1 only slightly shorter than MTS3, other MTS very short setae. Gular plate slender, spade-shaped.

Prothorax wider than long, with one pair of short setae on posterior margin median to spiracle openings. Prosternum nude. Proepimera broad with blunt median ends. Pterothorax broader than long, with mildly divergent lateral margins and a rounded posterior margin which may have a slight convergent median point. Mesosternum with two pairs of medium-sized setae on lateral margins, diffuse. Metasternum diffuse, with four pairs of mediumsized setae on posterior margin and 1–2 pairs of medium-sized setae on lateral margins ( Fig. 4 b). Possibly plates are fused, but this cannot be clearly seen in available material. Episterna short, blunt, do not reach median of coxae.

Tergites II–VIII divided medianly in both sexes. Sternites medianly continuous but diffuse. Pleurites III–V in both sexes with well-developed, pointed, re-entrant heads, pleurites VII–VIII with blunt, barely re-entrant heads; heads of pleurite V intermediate ( Fig. 4 b).

Male. Posterior margin of pterothorax with 11 pairs of setae. Abdominal chaetotaxy as in Table 5 . Male genitalia ( Fig. 4 c): basal plate long, but entirely diffuse anterior to segment VII. Lateral thickenings narrow, on distal half of basal plate, and continuous with lateral thickenings of parameres, though these thickenings continue only along the distal half of the median side of parameres. Median part of basal plate open to short, oval atrium, in which mesomere and endomere are located. Endomere longer than wide, with long antero-lateral extensions that approach the fusion point between the basal plate and the parameres. Distally, endomere has W-shaped thickening that does not continue anteriorly for more than half the lateral sides. When not everted, mesomere does not overlap with endomere, though in males with partially everted genitalia, the mesomere does overlap the anterior half of the endomeres. Mesomere-proper as two parallel, needle-like bars, somewhat bulbous anteriorly. Antero-lateral sclerites short, blunt, roundly triangular, fused medianly. Measurements (n = 8; except for TL and AW where n = 7): TL: 1.75–1.89 (1.81); HL: 0.57–0.60 (0.59); HW: 0.56–0.58 (0.57); PRW: 0.29–0.31 (0.31); PTW: 0.42–0.46 (0.44); AW: 0.58–0.63 (0.61).

Female. Posterior margin of pterothorax with 9–10 pairs of setae. Abdominal chaetotaxy as in Table 6 . Vulval margin with 4–5 marginal pairs of slender setae and 5–7 submarginal pairs of thorn-like setae. Oblique set with 2–4 pairs of slender setae far anterior of vulval margin. Posterior-lateral to vulval margin a cluster of usually three (rarely two or four) spine-like setae ( Fig. 4 d). Measurements n = 14): TL: 1.93–2.20 (2.09); HL: 0.61–0.64 (0.63); HW: 0.59–0.62 (0.61); PRW: 0.29–0.33 (0.32); PTW: 0.43–0.51 (0.48); AW: 0.62–0.73 (0.69).

Type material. Male holotype, ex Tanysiptera danae , PAPUA NEW GUINEA, Northern District, Popondetta, Jumbora Plantation, elev. 200 ft, 24. IX. 1963, H. Clissold, host BBM-NG-28857 ( NHML). Female allotype, on same slide as holotype ( NHML). Paratypes: 5 females, same data as holotype ( NHML). 1 male and 1 female, same data as holotype (PIPeR).

Non-type material. PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Northern District: 2 nymphs, same data as holotype ( NHML). 1 male, 3 females, 4 nymphs, Mount Lamington, Vicinity of Amboga River, elev. 500 m, 4. VII. 1966, G. Lippert, host BBM-NG-25168 ( USNM). 3 nymphs, Popondetta, Jumbora Plantation, elev. 250 ft, 27. X. 1963, H. Clissold, host BBM-NG-29347 (one slide also contains an unidentified menoponid nymph). 5 males, 10 females, 5 nymphs, Popondetta, Jumbora Plantation, elev. 25 m, 2. VI. 1966, G. Lippert, host BBM-NG-25019 (all at PIPeR).

Etymology. The species epithet persei refers to Perseus, the only son of Danaë and Zeus (who famously impregnated her as a golden rain). Hence, the “child” of Tanysiptera danae is Emersoniella persei .

Figures

FIGURE 4. Emersoniella persei n. sp. ex Tanysiptera danae: (a) male head, dorsal and ventral side; (b) male pterothorax and abdomen, dorsal and ventral side; (c) male genitalia; (d) female terminalia and vulval margin, dorsal and ventral side.

Tables

TABLE 5. Male abdominal chaetotaxy of Emersoniella persei n. sp. (see explanatory notes in Table 1).

Segment	Tergomedian	Post-spiracular	Sternal	Postero-lateral
II	1 + 3	0	3 + 2–3	0
III	4	1	3	0
IV	4	1	1	2
V	4	1	1	3
VI	7	1	1	3
VII	4–5	1	1	4
VIII	4–5	0	2	3
IX	3	0	0	2
Terminal	0	0	2	3

TABLE 6. Female abdominal chaetotaxy of Emersoniella persei n. sp. (see explanatory notes in Table 1).

Segment	Tergomedian	Post-spiracular	Sternal	Postero-lateral
II	1 + 3	0	2–3 + 4 (5)	0
III	5–6	1	2	0
IV	5–6	1	2	3
V	5–6 (7–8)	1	2	3
VI	5–6	1	2	4
VII	5–6	1	2	4
VIII	4	0	0	4
IX	2	0	0	2 + 2
Terminal	0	0	3	0