Reticulipeurus (Forcipurellus) longistylus, Gustafsson & Zou, 2023

Gustafsson, Daniel R. & Zou, Fasheng, 2023, Species of Reticulipeurus Kéler, 1958 (Phthiraptera, Ischnocera, Oxylipeurus- complex) parasitic on species of Arborophila, with description of a new subgenus and three new species, Zootaxa 5284 (3), pp. 496-520 : 504-514

Reticulipeurus (Forcipurellus) longistylus new species

( Figs 32–39 , 43 )

Type host. Arborophila rufogularis guttata Delacour & Jabouille, 1928 —rufous-throated partridge.

Type locality. “Indochina”.

Other hosts. Arborophila rufogularis subspecies (Blyth, 1849). Arborophila rufogularis intermedia (Blyth, 1855) . Arborophila rufogularis tickelli (Hume, 1880) .

Diagnosis. Reticulipeurus (Forcipurellus) longistylus can be separated from the other species in the subgenus by the following combination of characters: head somewhat slender ( Fig. 34 ); Male pedicel swollen and shortened compared to female ( Figs 34–35 ); male flagellomere I expanded distally ( Fig. 34 ); male mesosome narrow ( Fig. 36 ); ventral sclerite of male genitalia with narrowly rounded anterior margin ( Fig. 37 ); male gonopore almost reaching distal margin of mesosome ( Fig. 37 ); male parameres of distinct shape ( Fig. 38 ); central section of female vulval margin more prominently bulging ( Fig. 39 ); male stylus elongated and slender, not spatulate, and postero-lateral corners of male abdominal segment XI extended slightly posteriorly ( Fig. 43 ).

Description. Preantennal head somewhat narrowed ( Fig. 34 ). Male scape longer than female ( Fig. 35 ), much wider but not otherwise modified; male pedicel short and stout; male flagellomere I with distal extension. Head chaetotaxy as in Fig. 24 . Lateral margins of temples more or less parallel in male. Thoracic and abdominal segments and chaetotaxy as in Figs 32–33 . Distal abdomen of male as in Fig. 43 ; sternal plate VII apparently fused to from subgenital plate medianly, but this is not clear in examined specimens and plates may be separate; stylus long, elongated; distal margin of segment XI sinuously concave, lateral corners slightly extended distally. Male genitalia as in Figs 36–38 . Distal rugosity of mesosome somewhat coarse, extensive. Ventral sclerite with narrowly convex anterior margin and two visible gpmes on each side. Gonopore almost reaching distal margin of mesosome. Parameres broad, curved, with elongated heads; pst1 near distal end of paramere. Female sternal plate VII without median bulge on distal margin ( Fig. 39 ). Median bulge of vulval margin narrow, prominent, with 5–7 vss on each side; lateral lobes with 19–25 long, slender vms on each side. Lateral margin of claspers with 5–8 lateral setae on each side. Specimens from different host subspecies overlap extensively in vulval chaetotaxy. Measurements as in Table 1 .

Type material examined. Ex Arborophila rufogularis guttata [as A. rufogularis laotiana or A. rufogularis laotianae ]: Holotype 1♁, “ Indochina ”, 16 Jul. 1930, no collector, Brit. Mus. 1970-558, NHMUK010682710 ( NHML) . Paratypes. 1♁, skin, locality unknown, no date, coll. R . S. Balter, Brit. Mus. 1971-493, NHMUK010682705 ( NHML) . Ex Arborophila rufogularis subspecies: 1♀, “Indochina”, 16 Jul. 1930, “spirit mat.”, no collector, NHMUK010682704 ( NHML) .

Non-type material examined. Ex Arborophila rufogularis intermedia : 2♁, 3♀, Burma [= Myanmar], 1898, coll. R . Meinertzhagen , 3605, NHMUK010682712 ( NHML) .

Ex Arborophila rufogularis tickelli : 4♀, Tenasserim, Myanmar, Oct. 1897, coll. R . Meinertzhagen , 3601, NHMUK010682716 ( NHML) .

Etymology. The species epithet is formed by “ longus ”, Latin for “long, and “ stylus ”, Latin for “stake”, referring to the relatively long stylus of this species compared to those of other members of the subgenus.

Remarks. The type host subspecies has been selected based on the best preserved males, despite the lack of females from this host subspecies. The specimen on slide NHMUK010682704 has the same collection data as those of the holotype and may represent a female from the type host subspecies, but the subspecies is not explicit on the slide label. Specimens from the other two host subspecies are considered conspecific with the type series, as no significant differences have been found among them. Females are illustrated based on specimens from A. rufogularis intermedia .

Figures

FIGURES 32–33. Reticulipeurus (Forcipurellus) longistylus new species. 32, male habitus, dorsal and ventral views. 33, female habitus, dorsal and ventral views.

FIGURES 34–39. Reticulipeurus (Forcipurellus) longistylus new species. 34, male head, dorsal and ventral view. 35, female antenna, ventral view. 36, male genitalia, dorsal view. 37, male genitalia, ventral view. 38, male paramere, dorsal view. 39, female subgenital plate, vulval margin, and terminalia, ventral view.

FIGURES 40–44. Distal ends of male abdomens, dorsal and ventral views. 40, Reticulipeurus (Forcipurellus) bracatus new species. 41, Reticulipeurus (Forcipurellus) diki new species. 42, Reticulipeurus (Forcipurellus) formosanus (Uchida, 1917). 43, Reticulipeurus (Forcipurellus) longistylus new species. 44, Reticulipeurus (Forcipurellus) nitzschi Kéler, 1958. All drawings are to the same scale.

FIGURES 24–25. Reticulipeurus (Forcipurellus) diki new species. 24, male habitus, dorsal and ventral views. 25, female habitus, dorsal and ventral views.