Aporisticeras athertona ( Williams, 1981 ), 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 : 315-318

Aporisticeras athertona ( Williams, 1981)

( Figs 417–420 )

Brueelia athertona Williams, 1981: 517 .

Type host. Nyctyornis athertoni athertoni (Jardine & Selby, 1828) — blue-bearded bee-eater. Type locality. Bengal, India.

Other host. Nyctyornis amicta (Temminck, 1824) — red-bearded bee-eater.

Description. Both sexes. Head structure, shape, and chaetotaxy as in genus description and Fig. 526 . Thoracic and abdominal segments as in Figs 524–525 ; pteronotum with 5–6 mms of about equal length on each side.

Male. Abdominal chaetotaxy as in Table 2 and Fig. 524 . Basal apodeme diffuse anteriorly ( Fig. 527 ), with lateral folds that widen distally. Near posterior margin of basal apodeme there is a transversal, thickened ventral arch (anterior transversal sclerite, ATS in Fig. 528 ), connected to or articulating with lateral ends of mesosomal lobes. Proximal mesosome small, square-shaped. Gonopore ( Fig. 528 ) large, terminal, open distally. Mesosomal lobes wide, triangular; ames absent; 2 pmes microsetae on lateral margins of mesosomal lobes. Dorsal and posterior to gonopore a second transversal sclerite (distal transversal sclerite, DTS in Fig. 528 ). Parameral heads ( Figs 529–530 ) bifid, with grove into which lateral ends of mesosome fits ( Fig. 527 ). Parameral blades with a thickened, wrinkled lateral section and a diaphanous median “sail” along most of the length of the paramere; pst as in genus description. Measurements ex Nyctyornis athertoni ( Thailand) (n = 6): TL = 1.51–1.62; HL = 0.40–0.43; HW = 0.42–0.47; PRW = 0.25–0.27; PTW = 0.42–0.45; AW = 0.53–0.57. Ex Nyctyornis athertoni ( India) (n = 3 except n = 1 for TL): TL = 1.654; HL = 0.41–0.44; HW = 0.46–0.49; PRW = 0.25–0.27; PTW = 0.43–0.47; AW = 0.59–0.63. Ex Nyctyornis amicta (n = 1): TL = 1.61; HL = 0.42; HW = 0.44; PRW = 0.26; PTW = 0.45; AW = 0.68.

Female. Abdominal chaetotaxy as in Table 2 and Fig. 525 . Subgenital plate roughly oval, reaching vulval margin where it flares into broad cross-piece ( Fig. 531 ). Vulval margin with 2–3 median vms and 5–7 more lateral thorn-like vms on each side ( Fig. 531 ); 2–4 minute vss on each side. 3–4 slender vos on each side, not approaching vss. ex Nyctyornis athertoni ( Thailand) (n = 7): TL = 1.76–2.01; HL = 0.43–0.46; HW = 0.48–0.50; PRW = 0.26– 0.28; PTW = 0.46–0.48; AW = 0.60–0.73. Ex Nyctyornis athertoni ( India) (n = 3): TL = 2.03–2.09; HL = 0.49– 0.51; HW = 0.54–0.57; PRW = 0.29–0.31; PTW = 0.53–0.55; AW = 0.77–0.84. Ex Nyctyornis amicta (n = 2): TL = 1.76–2.00; HL = 0.42–0.45; HW = 0.45–0.50; PRW = 0.27; PTW = 0.43–0.48; AW = 0.67–0.68.

Type material. Ex Nyctyornis athertoni athertoni : Holotype ♂, Bengal , India, Jan. 1926, R. Meinertzhagen, 2748 ( NHML) . Paratypes: 1♂, 1♀, same data as holotype ( NHML) ; 1♂, 2♀, same data as holotype ( OSUS) .

Additional material examined (non-types)

Ex Nyctyornis athertoni athertoni : 3♂, 3♀, Dehra Dun, [Uttarakhand], India, Jan. 1940, R. Meinertzhagen, 13940 ( NHML); 3♂, 3♀, Hinlaem, Thakanun, Kanachanaburi Province, Thailand, 28 Oct. 1952, R.E. Elbel & H.G.

Deignan, RE-1317, RT-B-15809 ( OSUS); 2♂, 2♀, Hinlaem , Thakanun, Kanachanaburi Province, Thailand, 28 Oct. 1952, R.E. Elbel & H.G. Deignan, RE-1317, RT-B-15809 (PIPeR) ; 1♀, 10 km East of Prae border, Pangnamun, Ban Yun, Nan Province, Thailand, 25 Jan. 1953, R.E. Elbel & H.G. Deignan, RE-2205, RT-B-17729 (PIPeR).

Ex Nyctyornis amicta : 1♀, Huai Yang , Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, Thailand, 27 Dec. 1952, R.E. Elbel & H.G. Deignan, RE-2079, RT-B-17696 ( NHML); 1♂, 1♀, Huai Yang, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, Thailand, 27 Dec. 1952, R.E. Elbel & H.G. Deignan, RE-2079, RT-B-17696 (PIPeR).

Remarks. The type host, Nyctyornis athertoni , occurs in two discontinuous areas, with one population inhabiting peninsular India, and another (including two subspecies) ranging from Bengal to Cambodia and Vietnam ( Fry et al. 1999). Specimens from peninsular India are typically larger than those from Thailand, this feature being more striking in females than in males. Therefore, we have included measurements of specimens from both host populations separately. Too little material was examined to draw any taxonomic conclusions from the size differences found between the two Aporisticeras populations from N. athertoni . Specimens examined from N. amicta are inseparable from those of the type host, but samples sizes from both host species are small.

Figures

FIGURES 415 – 419. Sturnidoecus porphyrogenitus n. sp. ex Cinnyricinclus leucogaster verreauxi: 415, male head, dorsal and ventral views. 416, male genitalia, dorsal view. 417, male mesosome, ventral view. 418, male paramere, dorsal view. 419, female subgenital plate and vulval margin, ventral view.

FIGURES 420 – 421. Sturnidoecus somnodraco n. sp. ex Quelea quelea quelea: 420, male habitus, dorsal and ventral views. 421, female habitus, dorsal and ventral views.

FIGURES 526 – 531. Aporisticeras athertona (Williams, 1981) n. comb. ex Nyctyornis athertoni athertoni: 526, male head, dorsal and ventral views. 527, male genitalia, dorsal view. 528, male mesosome, ventral view. 529, male paramere, dorsal view. 530, male paramere, ventral view. 531. female subgenital plate and vulval margin, ventral view. Abbreviations: ATS, anterior transverse sclerite; DTS, distal transverse sclerite.

FIGURES 524 – 525. Aporisticeras athertona (Williams, 1981) n. comb. ex Nyctyornis athertoni athertoni: 524, male habitus, dorsal and ventral views. 525, female habitus, dorsal and ventral views.