Phipicobia, Glowska, Eliza & Schmidt, Brian K., 2014

Glowska, Eliza & Schmidt, Brian K., 2014, New taxa of the subfamily Picobiinae (Cheyletoidea: Syringophilidae) parasitizing antbirds and gnateaters (Passeriformes: Thamnophilidae, Conopophagidae) in Guyana, Zootaxa 3861 (2), pp. 193-200 : 194

Genus Phipicobia gen. nov.

Type species: Phipicobia pygiptilae sp. nov., designated here.

Diagnosis. PHYSOGASTRIC FEMALE. Gnathosoma . Hypostomal apex rounded with shoulders. Lateral hypostomal teeth absent. Peritremes M-shaped. Borders between chambers poorly visible both in median and lateral branches. Movable cheliceral digits edentate on distal tip. Stylophore rounded posteriorly. Idiosoma . Propodonotal shield divided longitudinally, forming one central and two narrow lateral sclerites bearing bases of setae vi, ve, si and se. Six pairs of propodonotal setae present, arranged 2-1-1-1-1. Setae vi bases situated anterior to level of setae ve. Hysteronotal shield absent. Hysteronotal setae long, d1 situated equidistant to e2 and d2. Alveoli of setae 1a-1a and 3a-3a separated. Pseudanal setae absent. Genital series with 2 pairs of setae. Aggenital series with 3 pairs of setae. Genital, pygidial and opisthosomal lobes absent. Legs. Legs I thicker than II, II thicker than III–IV. Apodemes Ia slightly divergent, in distal part parallel, provided with small outgrowth but not strict thornlike protuberances. Legs with full complement of solenidia. Physogastric form worm-shaped in outline.

MALE: Unknown.

Etymology. The generic name Phipicobia is a compilation of the Greek letter phi (φ) representing the golden section (sectio aurea), which value is approximately 1.61803 and the name of the genus Picobia .

Differential diagnosis. Phipicobia gen. nov. is most similar to the genus Gunabopicobia Skoracki and Hromada, 2013. In females of both genera, the hypostomal apex has shoulders, the movable cheliceral digits are edentate on the distal tips, the stylophore is rounded posteriorly, the propodonotal shield is divided longitudinally into two narrow lateral shields bearing setal bases vi, ve, si and se, and the large central sclerite and the legs are with full set of solenidia. Females of Phipicobia gen. nov. differ from Gunabopicobia by the peritremes with poorly visible borders between chambers both in the median and lateral branches, setal alveoli 1a-1a not coalesced, absence of the pseudanal setae, and by the presence of two pairs of the genital setae. In females of Gunabopicobia, chambers of the peritremes are clearly visible both in the medial and lateral branches, setal alveoli 1a-1a are coalesced, pseudanal setae are represented by two pairs and the genital setae are absent.

Habitat, host range and distribution. Monotypic genus with Phipicobia pygiptilae sp. nov. living inside the quills of body feathers of Pygiptila stellaris (Spix) ( Passeriformes : Thamnophilidae ) in Guyana.