Pancola, Deng & Wang & Fu & Nie & Xie & Liu, 2023

Deng, Yuan-Ping, Wang, Wei, Fu, Yi-Tian, Nie, Yu, Xie, Yue & Liu, Guo-Hua, 2023, Morphological and molecular evidence reveals a new species of chewing louse Pancola ailurus n. sp. (Phthiraptera: Trichodectidae) from the endangered Chinese red panda Ailurus styani, International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife 20, pp. 31-38 : 33-35

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2022.12.004

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/9A2387AC-632E-FFDD-FC81-5C3CD7E1D2BD

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Pancola
status

gen. nov.

Genus Pancola View in CoL new genus.

Type species: Pancola ailurus View in CoL new species.

Host distribution: Carnivora : Ailuridae .

Geographical range: Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains.

Diagnosis: Pancola is a new genus in the family of Trichodectidae . A dichotomous key by Lyal (1985) is used for the identification of Pancola with other genera in Trichodectidae . Based on the presence of exactly five abdominal spiracle openings, the abdominal chaetotaxy of both sexes, and the fact that the parameres are not fused to the lateral struts of the basal apodeme, Pancola is the closest to Paratrichodectes . However, these two genera can be separated by the following combination of characteristics: 1) the anterior head margin of the Pancola is broad, medium slightly convex, or non-convex, whereas the anterior of the head with osculum present in Paratrichodectes ( Lyal, 1985) ; 2) the head marginal temporal carina with rounded edges in Pancola , differentiate it from Paratrichodectes , which has a convex or rectangular temple margin ( Lyal, 1985); 3) the 6 pairs meso-metasternal setae present on Pancola , which is different from Paratrichodectes . There are no meso-metasternal setae on Paratrichodectes ( Lyal, 1985) ; 4) the male genitalia of Pancola has narrow mesomeres, which is absent in Paratrichodectes ( Lyal, 1985) .

Pancola can be morphologically distinguished from other Trichodectidae by the following combination of characters: 1) anterior head margin broad, medium slightly convex or non-convex; frons sclerotized; marginal carina (mc) along the head margin and partially pigmented; 2) sexual dimorphic antennae present, the male antennae stouter and larger than which on female; 3) thorax with long meso-metasternal setae present; meso-metasternal plate small, X-shaped; 4) abdomen with long setae present on tergites and sternites; five pairs of abdominal spiracles present on segments III-VII, small in size; 5) male subgenital plate present, sclerotised; mesomeres present, apices of mesomeres fused; parameres tapering, separate to each other; symmetric; small spinose sac present; basal apodeme elongated, straight but slightly diverging; and 6)

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ventral terminalia with small tapered gonapophyses VIII in female, the inner margin of gonapophyses VIII gently convex, the outer margin of gonapophysis VIII within abdomen boundary.

Description. Both sexes. Head rounded in shape. Pre-antennal region was broad, with slightly convex or non-convex sclerotized frons. Marginal carina (mc) partially pigmented; pre-marginal carina (prmc) continuous with post-marginal carina (pomc); preantennal nodus (pran) large, blunt. Antennae sexual dimorphic. Male antennae scape stout and larger than those in females. Antennae with 3 segments, antennal groove slightly deep; pedicel and flagellomere unfused, pedicel smaller than scape; flagellomere with the large process, slightly curved. Gular plate absent; temple margin convex; marginal temporal carina with rounded edges. Head chaetotaxy as in Fig. 2A and B View Fig . Dorsally, anterior seta 1 (as1), anterior seta 2 (as2), anterior seta 3 (as3), preconal seta (pcs), anterior dorsal seta 1 (ads1), anterior dorsal seta 2 (ads2), and pre-antennal seta (pas) present on each side; Ventrally, anterior ventral seta 1 (avs1), anterior ventral seta 2 (avs2), anterior ventral seta 3 (avs3), and mandibular (mds) present on each side. One pair of postnodal seta (pns), ocular setae (os), post-ocular setae (pos), and post-temporal setae (pts) on each side. Five pairs of marginal temporal setae (mts) on each side, vary in size, mts 4 large. Thoracic segments as in Fig. 2A and B View Fig . Prothorax undivided. Posterolateral setae present. Pterothorax short, posterior margin slightly convex. Pteronotum undivided, pterothoracic thorn-like setae (pths), pterothoracic trichoid seta (ptrs), and posterolater setae present. Meso-metasternal plate is small and X-shaped. Meso-metasternal setae present, long in size. Mesothoracic and metathoracic legs sternocoxal in articulation. Abdominal segments as in Fig. 2A and B View Fig . Wider than thorax, oval to rounded in shape. Dorsally, 5 pairs of spiracles in small sizes are present on segments III-VII. Abdominal chaetotaxy as in Fig. 2A and B View Fig . Tergal posterior setae (tps), and sternite setae (sts) are present, all setae long in size. Tergopleurite plates with paratergal seta (ps) and post-spiracular seta (pss) present.

Male. As in Fig. 2D View Fig . The subgenital plate present, is sclerotised; narrow mesomeres present, apices of mesomeres fused; parameres tapering, separate to each other; symmetric; small spinose sac present; basal apodeme elongated, straight but slightly diverging, longer than parameres.

Female. As in Fig. 2E View Fig . Ventral terminalia with small tapered gonapophyses VIII in females, the inner margin of gonapophyses VIII gently convex with marginal setae present, the outer margin of gonapophysis VIII within the abdomen boundary.

Etymology: The genus name is a noun referring to the common name of the host.

Pancola ailurus new species.

Type host: Ailurus fulgens styani Thomas, 1902 – red panda ( Carnivora : Ailuridae ).

Type locality: Species were collected in the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu County, Sichuan Province, China (N30.743 ◦, E104.150 ◦, 528 m above sea level (a.s.l)) GoogleMaps .

Male (n = 2). As in Fig. 2A, C, D View Fig . Body length 1.39 – 1.57 mm (mean 1.46 mm).

Head: As in Fig. 2A View Fig . Roughly round in shape, slightly wider than long. Pre-antennal Region: Anterior head margin broad, medium slightly convex or non-convex; frons sclerotized; mc along the head margin and partially pigmented; prmc continuous with pomc; pran large, blunt; conus blunt, smaller than the posterior end of scape in male and female. Dorsally, 1 pair of as1, as2, as3, pcs, ads1, ads2, and pas present on each side.; Ventrally, 1 pair of avs1, avs2, avs3, and mds on each side. Antennal Region: Antennae sexual dimorphic. Male antennae scape stout and larger than females. Antennae with 3 segments, antennal groove slightly deep; pedicel and flagellomere unfused, pedicel smaller than scape; flagellomere with the large process, slightly curved. Postantennal Region: Gular plate absent; the margin of temple convex; marginal temporal carina with rounded edges. One pair of pns, os, pos, and pts on each side. Five pairs of mts on each side, vary in size, mts 4 large.

Thorax: As in Fig. 2A View Fig . Prothorax undivided. Posterior margin of pronotum with 4 pairs of posterolateral setae. Mesothoracic spiracles ventrolateral, small in size (0.24 – 0.32 mm). Pterothorax short, posterior margin slightly convex. Pteronotum undivided, dorsolateral margin with 1 pair of pths, ptrs, and 11 pairs of posterolater setae on each side. Meso-metasternal plate is small, X-shaped ( Fig. 2C View Fig ). Meso-metasternal setae 6 pairs, very long. Mesothoracic and metathoracic legs sternocoxal in articulation.

Abdomen: As in Fig. 2A View Fig . Wider than the thorax, oval to rounded in shape. Dorsally, 5 pairs of spiracles in small sizes are present on segments III-VII. One tergite per segment, except segments I and VIII without tergites and segment II with 2 tergites. Tergite 1 with 4 pairs of long tps, medium pair smaller. Tergites 2 and 3 each with 9 pairs of long tps. Tergites 4 and 5 each with 10 pairs of tps, medium pair very small. Tergite 6 with 9 pairs of long tps, medium pair very small. Tergite 7 with 9 pairs of tps, lateral pair large but medium pair very small. Segment 8 with 2 rows of setae, 1st row with 11 pairs of very small setae, 2nd row with 8 pairs of very small setae. Ventrally, six sternites with sts present from segment II to VII, all setae long in size. Sternite 1 with 17 long sts. Sternite 2 with 9 pairs of long sts. Sternite 3 and 4 with 8 pairs of long sts. Sternite 5 with 15 long sts. Sternite 6 with 5 pairs of long sts. Tergopleurite II with 2 pairs of ps and 3 pairs of pss on each side. Tergopleurites III to VI with a small spiracle, 2 pairs of ps, and 4 pairs of pss on each side. Tergopleurite VII with a very small spiracle, 2 pairs of ps, and 3 pairs of pss on each side. Tergopleurite VIII has no spiracles, with 2 small pairs of ps and 2 pairs of pss on each side.

Male Genitalia: As in Fig. 2D View Fig . Elongated, exceeds up to segment VI;

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male subgenital plate present, sclerotised; narrow, heart-like mesomeres present, apices of mesomeres fused with concave margin; parameres tapering, thicker and longer than mesomeres; small accessory structures at the base of parameres; small O-shaped spinose sac; basal apodeme elongated, straight but slightly diverging, V-shaped, much longer than parameres.

Female: (n = 1). As in Fig. 2B, E View Fig . Body length 0.97–1.56 mm (mean 1.33 mm).

Head: As in Fig. 2B View Fig . Much as in males, except for the antennae parts, female antennae scape much slimmer and shorter than in males. Antennae scape in female stout and elongated with the lateral process; pedicel and flagellomere unfused, pedicel smaller than scape; flagellomere with the process, no curve.

Thorax: As in Fig. 2B View Fig . As much as in males.

Abdomen: As in Fig. 2B View Fig . Wider than the thorax, oval to rounded in shape. Dorsally, 5 pairs of spiracles in small sizes are present on segments III-VII. One tergite per segment, except segments I and VIII without tergites and segment II with 2 tergites. Tergite 1 with 9 long tps, equal in size. Tergites 2 with 25 long tps. Tergite 3 with 13 pairs of long tps. Tergite 4 with 15 pairs of long tps. Tergite 5 with 14 pairs of long tps. Tergite 6 with 13 pairs of long tps. Tergite 7 with 12 pairs of tps, varies in size. Ventrally, six sternites with sts present from segment II to VII, all setae long in size. Sternites 1 and 2 each with 27 sts. Sternites 3 – 5 each with 12 pairs of sts. Sternite 6 with 8 pairs of sts. Tergopleurite II with 2 pairs of ps and 4 pairs of pss on each side. Tergopleurite III with a small spiracle, 2 pairs of ps, and 4 pairs of pss on each side. Tergopleurites IV and V each with a small spiracle, 2 pairs of ps, and 3 pairs of pss on each side. Tergopleurite VI with a very small spiracle, 2 pairs of ps, and 4 pairs of pss on each side. Tergopleurite VII with a very small spiracle, 2 pairs of ps, and 3 pairs of pss on each side. Tergopleurite VIII with no spiracles, 2 small pairs of ps, and 2 pairs of pss on each side.

Female genitalia: As in Fig. 2E View Fig . The subgenital plate is broad and subtriangular-shaped with three pairs of setae, apical pair setae shortest, other two pairs equal in size; the terminal portion of the subgenital plate without apical setae; two projections bordering the concavity at the apex with 4 pairs of setae on each projection; ventral terminalia with small tapered gonapophyses VIII, the inner margin of gonapophyses VIII gently convex with 9 marginal setae each side; the outer margin of gonapophysis VIII within abdomen boundary.

Type material: Holotype 6 ex Ailurus styani, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding , Chengdu County, Sichuan Province, China (N30.743 ◦, E104.150 ◦), November 2020 (accession no. IOZ (E) 22144) GoogleMaps . Paratypes: 16, 1♀, same data as for the holotype and deposited in National Animal Collection Resource Center , China (accession no. IOZ (E) 221442, IOZ (E) 221443) GoogleMaps .

Etymology: The species epithet is a noun in apposition referring to the species scientific name of the host.

3.2. DNA sequence data

The amplified mt cox 1 sequences showed 69.2 – 72.0% identities with species from genera Geomydoecus (KX228450), Bovicola (MH001203), Damalinia (JN122004), and Trichodectes (MH001214) species, and 12S rRNA gene sequences ranged from 75.3 – 85.3% with genera Geomydoecus (MW396892), Bovicola (MH001211 and MH001186), Damalinia (JN122002), and Trichodectes (MH001222), and 18S rRNA gene sequences of P. ailurus by conventional PCR showed 98.8 – 99.6% similarity with Bovicola (AY077769), Felicola (AY077770), and Geomydoecus (HQ124283) ( Table S1).

VI

Mykotektet, National Veterinary Institute

V

Royal British Columbia Museum - Herbarium

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Psocodea

Family

Trichodectidae

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