Meropoecus bartlowi Gustafsson & Bush, 2017

Bush, Sarah E., 2017, Morphological revision of the hyperdiverse Brueelia - complex (Insecta: Phthiraptera: Ischnocera: Philopteridae) with new taxa, checklists and generic key, Zootaxa 4313 (1), pp. 1-443 : 297-300

Meropoecus bartlowi Gustafsson & Bush , new species

( Figs 392–396 )

Type host. Merops ornatus Latham, 1802 — rainbow bee-eater.

Type locality. Ambunti, elev. 200 ft, West Sepik District, Papua New Guinea.

Diagnosis. Male Meropoecus bartlowi n. sp. keys to couplet 3 in the key of Emerson & Elbel (1956), but with 8 medium-sized setae on each side of tergopleurite IX, Mo. bartlowi ( Fig. 499 ) is intermediate between Mo. caprai with 7–8 setae and Mo. debeauxi with 9–10 setae. Anterior mesosome is transversally oval in both Mo. bartlowi ( Fig. 500 ) and Mo. debeauxi ( Emerson & Elbel 1956: fig. 6), separating these from Mo. caprai , which has a heartshaped mesosome ( Emerson & Elbel 1956: fig. 4). The distal extension of the mesosome is longer in Mo. bartlowi ( Fig. 500 ) than in Mo. debeauxi , and the distal margin of the extension is deeply concave in Mo. bartlowi ( Fig. 500 ) but shallowly concave in Mo. debeauxi .

Female Meropoecus bartlowi keys to couplet 3 in the key of Emerson & Elbel (1956), and the number of setae lateral to the vulval margin in Mo. bartlowi (n = 4–5, Fig. 498 ) makes it intermediate between Mo. meropis and Mo. debeauxi .

Description. Both sexes. Head shape, structure, and chaetotaxy as in genus description and Fig. 499 ; pos clearly ventral, sublateral, just posterior to eye; mts 2 about twice as long as mts 1. Preantennal nodi short, elongated, pointed. Postantennal suture wide but anterior margin generally diffuse. Thoracic and abdominal segments as in genus description and Figs 497–498 .

Male. Abdominal chaetotaxy as in Table 2 and Fig. 497 . Male genitalia distinct ( Fig. 500 ). Basal apodeme trapezoidal. Mesosome irregularly oval, wider than long; broad median extension posteriorly, with distal margin of extension deeply concave. Anterior section of mesosome with a densely papillate transversal ridge, connected medianly to a papillate area with a gently rounded posterior margin; 2 ames microsetae on each side lateral to papillate ridge; 3 pmes sensilla on each side as in Fig. 500 . Parameres stout, angled. Distal translucent section of parameres very large; 3 pst sensilla near distal end of parameres. Measurements ex Merops ornatus (n = 6): TL = 1.59–1.88; HL = 0.52–0.59; HW = 0.68–0.75; PRW = 0.33–0.40; PTW = 0.51–0.62; AW = 0.71–0.82.

Female. Abdominal chaetotaxy as in Table 2 and Fig. 498 . Median extension of subgenital plate short, blunt ( Fig. 501 ). Vulval margin slightly convergent medianly, with median section distinctly bulging ( Fig. 501 ). Bulge with 3–4 short, stout vms and 4–5 short, thorn-like vss on each side. Lateral to bulge 9–10 long, slender vms on each side and 5–6 short, thorn-like vss on each side; 6–7 short, slender vos forming broadly convergent rows, with distal vos approaching vss. Measurements ex Merops ornatus (n = 3): TL = 1.75–2.27; HL = 0.58–0.62; HW = 0.76–0.84; PRW = 0.37–0.40; PTW = 0.57–0.63; AW = 0.79–1.00.

Etymology. The species epithet is in honour of Andrew Bartlow, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, in recognition of his work on the distribution and dispersal of bird and mammal parasites.

Type material. Ex Merops ornatus : Holotype ♂, Ambunti , elev . 200 ft, West Sepik District, Papua New Guinea, 8 May 1963, P. Temple, BBM-NG-22568 ( BPBM) [marked with black dot on slide]. Paratypes: 3♂, same data as holotype ( BPBM) ; 1♀, 10 miles W of Garaina , elev. 2350 ft, Morobe District, Papua New Guinea, 11 Aug. 1970, A.B. Mirza, BBM-NG-98917 ( BPBM) ; 3♂, 1♀, Jumbora Plantation , elev. 200 ft, Popondetta, Northern Province, Papua New Guinea, 17–18 Sep. 1963, H. Clissold, BBM-NG-28767 ( BPBM) .

Figures

FIGURES 390 – 395. Dorsal views of Sturnidoecus male genitalia representing all species groups (setae transposed to dorsal side for clarity): 390, Sturnidoecus pastoris (Denny, 1842) (St. pastoris group). 391, Sturnidoecus porphyrogenitus n. sp. (St. porphyrogenitus group). 392, Sturnidoecus senegalensis (Rudow, 1896) (St. senegalensis group). 393, Sturnidoecus senegalensis (Rudow, 1896) (part of ventral view of mesosome showing the two ventral hooks). 394, Sturnidoecus simplex (Kellogg, 1896) (St. simplex group). 395 Sturnidoecus somnodraco n. sp. (St. somnodraco group).

FIGURES 396 – 398. Dorsal views of Sturnidoecus male genitalia representing all species groups (setae transposed to dorsal side for clarity): 396, Sturnidoecus sturni (Schrank, 1776) (St. sturni group). 397, Sturnidoecus wittei Tendeiro, 1963 (St. wittei group). 398, Sturnidoecus wittei Tendeiro, 1963 (part of ventral view of mesosome showing single hook).

FIGURES 499 – 501. Meropoecus bartlowi n. sp. ex Merops ornatus: 499, male head, dorsal and ventral views. 500, male genitalia, ventral view. 501, female subgenital plate and vulval margin, ventral view.

FIGURES 497 – 498. Meropoecus bartlowi n. sp. ex Merops ornatus: 497, male habitus, dorsal and ventral views. 498, female habitus, dorsal and ventral views.