Brueelia ferianci Balat , 1955

Gustafsson, Daniel R., Oslejskova, Lucie, Najer, Tomas, Sychra, Oldrich & Zou, Fasheng, 2019, Redescriptions of thirteen species of chewing lice in the Brueelia - complex (Phthiraptera, Ischnocera, Philopteridae), with one new synonymy and a neotype designation for Nirmus lais Giebel, 1874, Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 66 (1), pp. 17-39 : 26

Brueelia ferianci Balat, 1955 Figs 41-42 , 43-47

Brueelia ferianci Balát, 1955: 508.

Nigronirmus ferianci ( Balát, 1955); Złotorzycka 1964: 250.

Type host.

Anthus trivialis trivialis (Linnaeus, 1758), tree pipit ( Motacillidae ).

Type locality.

Nesyt, Czechia.

Description.

Both sexes. Head trapezoidal (Fig. 43 ), lateral margins of preantennal area convex proximally and concave distally, frons broadly flattened to slightly concave. Marginal carina broad, irregular, narrowing conspicuously near dsms, deeply displaced and much widened at osculum. Ventral anterior plate elongated. Head chaetotaxy and pigmentation patterns as in Figure 43 . Preantennal nodi wide, slightly bulging. Pre- and postocular nodi large. Marginal temporal carina wide, with undulating median margin. Gular plate rounded triangular. Thoracic and abdominal segments and pigmentation patterns as in Figures 41 , 42 .

Male. Thoracic and abdominal chaetotaxy as in Figure 41 . Basal apodeme with concave lateral margins (Fig. 44 ). Proximal mesosome short but broad (Fig. 45 ), roughly trapezoidal with concave lateral margins. Mesosomal lobes wide, medianly bent and convergent distally; rugose area extensive over ventral surface of distal mesosome. Gonopore semi-oval, longer than wide. Parameres broad, elongated distally (Fig. 46 ); pst1-2 as in Figure 46 . Measurements (n = 11, except TL where n = 10): TL = 1.36-1.52 (1.41); HL = 0.32-0.36 (0.34); HW = 0.26-0.29 (0.27); PRW = 0.17-0.19 (0.18); PTW = 0.24-0.26 (0.25); AW = 0.29-0.35 (0.32).

Female. Thoracic and abdominal chaetotaxy as in Figure 42 . Subgenital plate quadratic or widening slightly distally, connection to cross-piece moderate in width; pigmentation pattern as in Figure 47 . Vulval margin gently rounded, in some specimens bulging slightly in median section, with 2-6 short, slender vms and 3 or 4 short, thorn-like vss on each side; 3-5 short, slender vos on each side of subgenital plate; distal 1 vos median to vss. Measurements (n = 98, except TL and AW where n = 96, and PTW where n = 97): TL = 1.68-2.05 (1.83); HL = 0.36-0.41 (0.38); HW = 0.29-0.39 (0.31); PRW = 0.19-0.23 (0.20); PTW = 0.26-0.34 (0.30); AW = 0.35-0.51 (0.41).

Type material.

Lectotype ♂, Nesyt, Czechia, 8 Apr. 1953, F. Balát, 1062 (MMBC). Paralectotype. 1♀, same data as holotype (MMBC).

Non-type material. 1♂, 6♀, same data as holotype, F. Balát, 1062, 1127, 1177 (MMBC). 1♀, same data as holotype, Brit. Mus. 1955-662 (NHML). 2♀, Hodonín, Czechia, 16 Aug. 1949, F. Balát, 553 (MMBC). 1♀, Liteň, Czechia, 20 May 1938, K. Pfleger, Pfl14 (MMBC). 2♀, Kuřim, Czechia, 12 May 1955, F. Balát, 714 (MMBC). 1♀, Falsterbo, Sweden, 17 Sep. 1963, F. Balát, 1272 (MMBC). 2♀, Hodonín, Czechia, 16 Aug. 1949, F. Balát, 553 (MMBC). 4♂, 6♀, Goljaki, Trnovski Gozd, Slovenia, 18 June 1965, S. Brelih, 11521-11530 (PMSL); 1♂, 2♀, "S. Spain", Spain, 27 Apr. 1961, Varma Coll. No. A310, Brit. Mus. 1962-325 (NHML); 6♂, 79♀, Morocco, Oct. 1938, R. Meinertzhagen, 11773, 11976 (NHML).

Remarks.

Balát (1955) did not explicitly designate a holotype for B. ferianci , but mentioned a male and a female as types. On slide no. 1062, which contains three specimens, the male is circled; on the label, the ♂ is circled within a box that reads "Typ ♂ a ♀". We therefore consider this to be an indication that Balát considered this to be the holotype. However, as he did not explicitly name it as such in the original publication, it is a syntype, not a holotype. We hereby designate this male the lectotype, and the female syntype thus becomes a paralectotype. Presently, all material listed by Balát (1955) is at the MMBC, except one female at the NHML and one female we have not been able to locate; this specimen must be regarded as lost. Another three females (slide no. 1177) were collected from the same host species at the same day on the same location as holotype, but according to ring number (42/53) these lice are from another host specimen that is not mentioned in original paper. The specimen deposited at NHML is labeled “paratype”, but has no type status.

The width of the frons differs somewhat between different specimens. The head is here illustrated from the holotype, whereas the full-body illustration is from a more narrow-headed specimen, to illustrate the variation in this species. Most specimens examined are more similar to the narrow-headed illustration. We do not presently consider these differences to be of any taxonomic importance, as the specimens we have examined are otherwise similar. However, fresh material from a number of host subspecies and populations may reveal that the material we have examined represents multiple species. Antennae in holotype and paratype males folded under the head, and here illustrated based on non-type material.

Figures

Figures 41, 42. Brueelia ferianci Balat, 1955, ex Anthus trivialis (Linnaeus, 1758) 41 Male habitus, dorsal and ventral views 42 Female habitus, dorsal and ventral views.

Figures 43 - 47. Brueelia ferianci Balat, 1955, ex Anthus trivialis (Linnaeus, 1758) 43 Male head, dorsal and ventral views 44 Male genitalia, dorsal view 45 Male mesosome, ventral view 46 Male paramere, dorsal view 47 Female subgenital plate and vulval margin, ventral view.