Hecatrishula atherae ( Ansari, 1957a ) 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 : 89-92

Hecatrishula atherae ( Ansari, 1957a) n. comb.

( Figs 130–137 )

Brueelia atherae Ansari, 1957a: 161 .

Type host. Corvus corax laurencei Hume, 1873 — common raven.

Type locality. Shibar Pass, Afghanistan.

Other hosts. Corvus corax corax Linnaeus, 1758 — common raven. Corvus corax tibetanus — common raven.

Description. Both sexes. Head shape, structure, and chaetotaxy as in genus description and Fig. 132 ; ads clearly anterior to avs3. Preantennal nodi oblong, with hollow appearance. Coni short and wide, often barely visible from dorsal side. Pre- and postocular nodi moderate; pos on posterior margin of postocular nodi. Gular plate short, rugose, with prominent lateral projections. Head largely translucent, but dark pigmentation on marginal carina (except at clypeo-labral suture), lateral half of ventral carinae, preantennal nodi, pedicel, flagellomeres 1–3, preantennal nodi, mouth parts and mandibular framework, gular plate, and much of central temples. Thoracic and abdominal segments as in genus and subgenus descriptions and Figs 130–131 ; ppss median to spiracle opening. Only proepimera, metepisterna, and leg carinae with dark pigmentation. Tergopleurites and sternal plates darkly pigmented, tergopleurites generally darker than sternal plates. Tergopleurite II with 1 fenestra that typically perforates tergopleurite margin (as in Figs 130–131 ). Tergopleurites III–VIII with 2 fenestrae, 1 around spiracle opening and 1 more median; the median fenestrae may perforate tergopleurite margin medianly (as in tergopleurite III of Fig. 131 ). Tergopleurites VIII–IX+X rarely continuing onto ventral surface, however this may be an artifact of mounting. Sternal plate II often very small and absent in some specimens.

Male. Scape ( Fig. 132 ) about twice as long as that of female ( Fig. 133 ), and slightly swollen. Typically 7 mms on each side. Abdominal chaetotaxy as in Table 2 and Fig. 130 . Male genitalia typical for genus ( Fig. 134 ). Basal apodeme rounded rectangular. Proximal mesosome small, anterior margin concave. Gonopore ( Fig. 135 ) narrowly open distally, projecting ventrally. Prominent V-shaped thickening on ventral surface anterior to gonopore. Mesosomal lobes extensive, overlapping ventrally with parameres, median margin rugose, with 3 stout pmes on each side. Parameral heads trifid ( Fig. 135 ). Parameral blades extremely bent around mesosome, elongated distally; pst1 sensillus, near distal tip; pst2 microseta, lateral near distal tip. Measurements ex Corvus corax laurencei (n = 24 except n = 22 for AW and n = 23 for HW): TL = 1.62–2.05 (1.82); HL = 0.45–0.54 (0.49); HW = 0.45–0.55 (0.48); PRW = 0.27–0.33 (0.30); PTW = 0.42–0.49 (0.46); AW = 0.59–0.75 (0.70). Ex C. c. tibetanus (n = 2): TL = 1.76–1.84; HL = 0.50–0.51; HW = 0.53; PRW = 0.33; PTW = 0.48–0.49; AW = 0.74–0.76.

Female. Scape not swollen ( Fig. 133 ). Typically 6 mms setae on each side. Abdominal chaetotaxy as in Table 2 and Fig. 131 . Subgenital plate slenderly trapezoidal ( Fig. 137 ), with lateral submarginal bulge, and with only narrow median section reaching vulval margin; in many specimens the plate only approaches the vulval margin but does not reach it. Vulval margin ( Fig. 137 ) gently rounded, with 4–6 slender vms on each side, and 3–5 short, thornlike vss on each side; 6–7 slender vos on each side; distal 2–3 vos median to vss. Measurements ex Corvus corax laurencei (n = 26 except n = 23 for AW): TL = 1.85–2.35 (2.13); HL = 0.51–0.58 (0.54); HW = 0.50–0.60 (0.55); PRW = 0.29–0.34 (0.32); PTW = 0.45–0.53 (0.49); AW = 0.66–0.84 (0.74). Ex C. corax tibetanus (n = 2): TL = 2.13–2.23; HL = 0.54–0.56; HW = 0.58–0.59; PRW = 0.34; PTW = 0.50–0.51; AW = 0.82–0.86.

Type material. Ex Corvus corax laurencei : Holotype ♂, Shibar Pass, Afghanistan, Apr. 1937, R. Meinertzhagen, 9765 ( NHML) . Allotype ♀, same data as holotype ( NHML) . Paratypes: 6♂, 5♀, same data as holotype ( NHML) ; 1♀, same data as previous ( OSUS) ; 13♂, 10♀, Kabul, Afghanistan, Apr. 1937, R. Meinertzhagen, 9579 ( NHML) ; 1♂, same data as previous ( OSUS) ; 16♂, 13♀, Afghanistan, Apr. 1937, R. Meinertzhagen, 9697 ( NHML) ; 1♂, 3♀, Kabul, Afghanistan, 5 Aug. 1963, [H.] Klockenhoff, 113, 18249–50 on reverse ( OSUS) .

Additional material examined (non-types)

Ex Corvus corax tibetanus [as Corvus corax ]: 2♂, 2♀, Sankhuwasabha District, Kosi Zone, Eastern Region, Nepal, 26 Jul. 1973, HE0643B (OSUS); 1♀, Makulu Base Camp, elev. 4850 m, Himalayas, Nepal, 20 Oct. 1972, J. Gregori, 11453 (PMSL).

Ex Corvus corax corax : 1♀, Kragujevac, Serbia, 21 Mar. 1948, S. Brelih ( OSUS) ; 1♀, Lublin, Poland, 9 Sep. 1949, UMCS, Freunde Collection, 26/1956 ( MFNB) .

Remarks. Ansari (1957a: 163) identified lice from Corvus corax ruficollis as Brueelia atherae , conspecific with those from C. corax laurencei , type host but, in our opinion, these populations are specifically distinct and, therefore, we have removed C. corax ruficollis as a host of this louse species.

Figures

FIGURES 130 – 131. Hecatrishula atherae (Ansari, 1957 b) n. comb. ex Corvus corax laurencei: 130, male habitus, dorsal and ventral views. 131, female habitus, dorsal and ventral views.

FIGURES 132 – 137. Hecatrishula atherae (Ansari, 1957 b) n. comb. ex Corvus corax laurencei: 132, male head, dorsal and ventral views. 133, female antenna, ventral view. 134 male genitalia, dorsal view. 135, Mesosome, ventral view. 136, paramere, dorsal view. 137, female subgenital plate and vulval margin, ventral view.