Mayriphilopterus nystalicus Mey, 2004

Valim, Michel P. & Linardi, Pedro M., 2007, Description of the male of Mayriphilopterus nystalicus Mey, 2004 (Phthiraptera, Ischnocera, Philopteridae), Zootaxa 1604, pp. 47-51 : 48-50

Mayriphilopterus nystalicus Mey, 2004

Type host. Nystalus maculatus (Gmelin, 1788) , the Spot-backed Puffbird ( Bucconidae )

Male and female. General aspect of body stout with front of head short and compact. Clypeal hyaline membrane with two spatulate setae on each side. Temporal setae 1 and 3, ocular and post-ocular setae long; temporal setae 2, 4 and 5 short. Trabeculae of spherical aspect. All legs of the same size. Pterothorax with less than 25 setae on posterior margin. Tergite II with a pair of long to medium-sized anterior setae reaching the anterior margin of tergite IV. All tergites medially separated, with post-spiracular setae present on segments III–VIII; tergite IX entire. No sternal plates on sternites II–VI.

Female ( Fig. 1 ) (n=14). Posterior margin of pterothorax pointed medially with 22 long setae. All tergal setae inserted on slender tegument, except for those on tergite III. Tergal central setae: II, 16–20; III, 12–17; IV, 13–17; V, 12–18; VI, 12–16; VII, 9–15 and VIII, 4–9. Pleural setae: II, 0; III, 1; IV–V, 4; VI, 6; VII, 5; VIII, 4. Sternal setae: II, 8–16; III, 10–19; IV, 12–19; V, 14–17; VI, 12–14. About 15 setae on each side of vulvar margin; 6–9 minute setae anterior to vulva. Two irregular plates between subgenital plate and vulvar opening. Subgenital plate as much figured by Mey (2004: 170, fig. 18b).

Dimensions: HL, 0.59–0.63 (0.60); TW, 0.55–0.59 (0.58); FW, 0.34–0.35 (0.34); CI, 1–1.09 (1.03); POL, 0.18–0.19 (0.18); POW, 0.32–0.34 (0.33); PEL, 0.20–0.24 (0.21); PEW, 0.48–0.55 (0.53); AL, 0.80–1.00 (0.92); AW, 0.73–0.84 (0.79); TL, 1.79–2.00 (1.89).

Male description ( Figs. 2–4 ) (n=12). Except for terminalia, genital characters and its smaller size, the male closely agrees with the female in general chaetotaxy and morphology. Posterior margin of pterothorax slightly rounded with 18 long setae. All tergal setae inserted on slender tegument, except for those on posterior margin of tergite II. Tergal central setae: II, 11–16; III, 12–14; IV–V, 10–14; VI, 9–14; VII 9–13. Pleural setae: II, 0; III, 2; IV, 4; V, 5; VI, 6; VII, 6; VIII, 4. Sternal setae: II, 8–14; III, 12–15; IV, 10–18; V, 12–16; VI, 10–16. Subgenital plate as in Fig. 3 ; genitalia simple, with parameres very small and fused at basal plate, without other characters in the endomeral plate ( Fig. 4 ).

Dimensions: HL 0.54–0.55 (0.55); TW, 0.52–0.54 (0.53); FW, 0.30–0.32 (0.31); CI, 1.02–1.06 (1.04); POL, 0.16–0.17 (0.16); POW, 0.29–0.30 (0.30); PEL, 0.18–0.20 (0.19); PEW, 0.47–0.49 (0.48); AL, 0.70– 0.77 (0.74); AW, 0.66–0.71 (0.69); GL, 0.19–0.23 (0.21); TL, 1.59–1.67 (1.62).

Remarks. The male genitalia of M. nystalicus are similar to the genitalia of M. orinocensis and M. ernsti . Some variation in abdominal chaetotaxy was found compared with the holotype female of M. nystalicus , but considered within the range of intra-specific variation. The male of M. nystalicus can be easily distinguished from that of M. orinocensis by the absence of sternal plates (present in M. orinocensis ); from that of M. ernsti by the number of blade-like setae on the clypeal hyaline membrane (four in M. ernsti ) and by the form of the epifaringe (broad in M. ernsti ).

Mey (2004) was unable to separate the female M. nystalicus from Nystalus chacuru from the holotype which was collected on N. maculatus . We examined 11 males and 10 females of M. nystalicus from skins of N. maculatus housed in two different museums. Also, six males and eight females were collected in Brasília (Federal District, Brazil) from free living N. chacuru . Lice from both species of puffbirds appear to be conspecific, confirming the White-eared Puffbird as a true host for this species of louse.

Types examined: Holotype female (NHM 4321) of Mayriphilopterus nystalicus , ex Nystalus maculatus striatipectus , PARAGUAY: Orloff, 17 Nov. 1955, coll. E. Mey in 19 Dec. 1996; 2 females and 2 nymphs, ex Nystalus chacuru , BRAZIL: Cuiabá (NHM 3866) and Santa Catarina, Joinville (NHM 3867). Paratype female (NHM 4110.a) of Mayriphilopterus galbulicus , ex Galbula cyanescens , PERU: Prov. Victoria, Rio Pachitea, 22 Feb. 1961, coll. E. Mey in 16 Dec. 1995. Holotype male (NHM 4360.b) and paratype female (NHM 4360.a) of Mayriphilopterus ernsti , ex Monasa morpheus peruana , PERU: Prov. Victoria, Rio Pachitea, 0 1 Dec. 1961, coll. E. Mey in 0 1 Dec. 1996.

Additional material examined: 2 males, 6 females (PHTPHI 0091–0098), and 1 female (NHM 4805.b), ex Nystalus chacuru , BRAZIL: Brasília, Distrito Federal, Fazenda Água Limpa (15º 57’S, 47º 56’W), 0 2 Oct. 2002, H48014, coll. Mieko Kanegae; 1 male (NHM 4805.a) and 1 male (PHTPHI 0090), same data for host, locality and collect date, H48015; 2 males and 2 females (PHTPHI 0086–0089), same data for host and locality, 0 4 Oct. 2002, H48016. At the National Museum of Rio de Janeiro (Ornithology collection): 2 males and 1 female (NHM 4806.a and 4806.b), ex skin of Nystalus maculatus , BRAZIL: no data for the skin, coll. M.P. Valim in 28 Apr. 2005. At the Department of Zoology (Ornithology collection) of Federal University of Minas Gerais: 2 males (PHTPHI 0 0 99 and 0101), ex skin of Nystalus maculatus , BRAZIL: Caatinga do Moura, Bahia state, Set. 1982, coll. M.P. Valim in 17 Jul. 2005; 2 males and 4 females (PHTPHI 0100–0102), ex skin of Nystalus maculatus , BRAZIL: Caatinga do Moura, Bahia state, 13 Sep. 1982, coll. M.P. Valim in 17 Jul. 2005.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Mayriphilopterus nystalicus Mey, 2004: 1 — Female; 2 — Male (scale bar = 0.6 mm); 3 — subgenital plate of male, setae not included (0.01 mm); 4 — male genitalia (0.05 mm).