Buphagoecus husaini ( Ansari, 1968 ), 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 : 259-262

Buphagoecus husaini ( Ansari, 1968)

( Figs 427–433 )

Sturnidoecus husaini husaini Ansari, 1968: 6 .

Sturnidoecus husaini Ansari, 1968 ; Price et al. 2003: 242.

Type host. Buphagus africanus africanus Linnaeus, 1766 — yellow-billed oxpecker. Type locality. Isiolo, Kenya.

Description. Both sexes. Head shape, structure, and chaetotaxy as in genus description and Fig. 429 . Preantennal nodi slender. Coni broad and short, not reaching distal margin of scapes. Preocular nodi broad. Postocular nodi moderate, rounded. Gular plate triangular. Thoracic and abdominal segments as in genus description and Figs 427– 428 ; ppss reach to or beyond posterior margin of pterothorax. Tergopleurites II–VIII translucent in large area surrounding spiracle opening. Sternal plates moderately pigmented. Pleurites only consistently visible in segments II–IV, very slender, with large, triangular, translucent re-entrant heads.

Male. Pteronotum with 9 mms on each side ( Fig. 427 ). Abdominal chaetotaxy as in Table 2 and Fig. 427 . Tergopleurites irregularly triangular, widely separated medianly. Subgenital plate rounded trapezoidal, not reaching posterior margin of abdomen. Basal apodeme distinct ( Fig. 431 ), lateral margins roughly parallel, but bulging proximally. Distal fifth of basal apodeme with large, angular lateral extension. Proximal mesosome broad, bilobed. Distal mesosome unlike other genera treated here, with large, roughly trapezoidal distal plate and triangular median sclerites. Gonopore ( Fig. 432 ) extended proximally, slender, open distally; 5 minute setae on each side of distal mesosome ( Fig. 432 ). Parameral heads ( Fig. 433 ) narrowly triangular. Parameral blades angular, broad; pst1–2 as in genus description. Measurements ex Buphagus africanus africanus (n = 2 except n = 1 for TL): TL = 1.67; HL = 0.51–0.52; HW = 0.45–0.49; PRW = 0.27–0.30; PTW = 0.42–0.48; AW = 0.68–0.73.

Female. Pteronotum with 8 mms on each side ( Fig. 428 ). Abdominal chaetotaxy as in Table 2 and Fig. 428 . Subgenital plate ( Fig. 430 ) slenderly triangular, with very concave lateral margins, flaring distally into cross-piece. Vulval margin gently rounded ( Fig. 430 ) with 3–5 slender vms on each side, and 11–12 thorn-like vss anterior to cross-piece on each side; 6 vos on each side; distal 2 vos separated from proximal 4, but median to vss. Measurements ex Buphagus africanus africanus (n = 2): TL = 1.82–2.07; HL = 0.51–0.54; HW = 0.49–0.51; PRW = 0.28–0.30; PTW = 0.42–0.47; AW = 0.73–0.74.

Type material. Ex Buphagus africanus africanus : Holotype ♂, Isiolo, Kenya, Jan. 1956, R. Meinertzhagen, 20442 ( NHML) . Paratypes: 1♂, 1♀, same data as holotype ( NHML) .

Additional material examined (non-types)

Ex Buphagus africanus africanus : 1♂, 2♀, Kenya, Apr. 1949, R. Meinertzhagen, 18902 ( NHML).

Remarks. Ansari (1968) stated that Sturnidoecus husaini husaini could be separated from St. husaini prominens by the male genitalia, but did not illustrate these features for either species. We have included illustrations of the male genitalia of both Bo. husaini and Bo. prominens ( Figs 431–436 ), which are sufficiently different to reject Price’s et al. (2003) synonymisation of the two subspecies, and treat them both as a separate species. Material of Bo. prominens available to us is mostly poorly mounted, preventing a complete illustration of this species. Buphagoecus husaini, Bo. prominens and all other Sturnidoecus species described by Ansari (1968) were not listed by Ledger (1980), despite having been published 12 years earlier.

Figures

FIGURES 427 – 428. Buphagoecus husaini (Ansari, 1968) n. comb. ex Buphagus africanus africanus: 427, male habitus, dorsal and ventral views. 428, female habitus, dorsal and ventral views.

FIGURES 429 – 430. Buphagoecus husaini (Ansari, 1968) n. comb. ex Buphagus africanus africanus: 429, male head, dorsal and ventral views. 430, female subgenital plate and vulval margin, ventral view.

FIGURES 431 – 436. Buphagoecus husaini (Ansari, 1968) n. comb. ex Buphagus africanus africanus: 431, male genitalia, dorsal view. 432, male mesosome, ventral view. 433, male parameres, dorsal view. Buphagoecus prominens (Ansari, 1968) n. comb. ex Buphagus erythrorhynchus erythrorhynchus: 434, male genitalia, dorsal view. 435, male mesosome, ventral view. 436, male paramere, dorsal view.