Lunaceps clayae Timmermann, 1954

Gustafsson, Daniel R. & Olsson, Urban, 2012, 3377, Zootaxa 3377, pp. 1-85 : 17-19

Lunaceps clayae Timmermann, 1954

( Fig. 7a–d; Table 1)

Lunaceps clayae Timmermann, 1954a: 629

Lunaceps clayae Timmermann ; Malcomson, 1960:191

Lunaceps limosella clayae Timmermann ; Emerson, 1972: 94

Lunaceps clayae Timmermann ; Price et al., 2003: 196

Type host: Limosa fedoa ( Linnaeus, 1758)

Diagnosis: Hyaline margin thin or missing. Marginal carina uninterrupted along the preantennal area, but transparent anteriorly and less well demarcated anterior to the AVS2 ( Fig. 7a). Ventral anterior plate broad and distal half convergent. Dorsal preantennal suture continuous across the head, but narrows laterally. Preantennal setae very long and slender. AVS2 and AVS3 aligned, and positioned markedly posterior to the ADS. Eyes sunken in, and not visible. OS quite long and thick, but not similar to MTS3. POS sometimes positioned posterior to eye. MTS4 and MTS5 stout and thorn-like.

Abdominal tergites II–III in males and II–IV in females with wedge-shaped median indentation of the anterior margin, reaching more than a third of the tergite width ( Fig. 7b). In both sexes, the ventral setae of segment II are positioned in the anterior half of the segment, similar to L. rileyi . Female dorsal intermediate setae on segment VII shorter than median setae. Female dorsal intermediate setae on segment IX long and thick. Males have an extra submedian pair of setae on the sternite of segment VII. Male subgenital plate wide. Sternites of male segments IV–VI very narrow, with the posterior margin being concave; this is not always as pronounced in females. Tergal heads very small, and present only in segments III–IV.

Female genital lobes with 8–10 posterior marginal setae, 5–6 thorn-like sub-marginal setae, and 6–7 thorn-like median marginal setae ( Fig. 7c). Parameres broad and gently curved ( Fig. 7d). Mesomere large, with a slight lateral bulge at distal half. Dorsal fingers broad and extending slightly beyond the anterior edge of ventral blades. Lower endomere broad and wide, almost square-shaped in some individuals. Apodemal bridge subtle, but not clearly demarcated.

Discussion: Lunaceps clayae differs from other Lunaceps parasitizing Limosa ( Lunaceps limosella , Lunaceps limosae , and Lunaceps paschalis ) in the male genitalia, which are larger and more similar to those of Lunaceps from Numenius (e.g. Fig. 23e). As in e.g. Lunaceps hopkinsi ( Fig. 12), the female dorsal intermediate setae on abdominal segment IX are long and thick, more similar to the dorsal intermediate setae of segments IV–V than to the median setae of these segments. However, L. clayae differs from Lunaceps species from Numenius in several key characters, including the OS and MTS1, which are short in L. clayae , and the setae of the pterothoracic rows in both sexes of L. clayae .

The most distinctive character is the dorsal submedian setae of male segment VII, which is unique within Lunaceps . For both sexes, the far anterior position of the ventral setae of abdominal segment II, along with the general shape of the body and head, sets it apart from all other species. This character can be found on L. rileyi , L. nereis , and L. schismatus sp. nov. as well, but other characters of these species are sufficiently different to avoid misidentification. The head of L. nereis is smaller and rounder with a thin, unbroken marginal carina, and the dorsal sublateral setae of female abdominal segment IX are smaller, as in L. schismatus sp. nov. Lunaceps rileyi is quite different with its large number of ventral setae in both sexes, and its distinct parameres.

A single female from Limnodromus scolopaceus is known, but it is uncertain whether this is a contamination or if Limnodromus scolopaceus is a natural host of L. clayae .

Etymology: Named after the well-known phthirapterist Miss Theresa Clay formerly of the British museum (of Natural History), now the NHML.

Material examined:

Ex Limosa fedoa :

Holotype: ♂ 1, United States: California, March 1939, Meinertzhagen Collection 12997 ( NHML).

Allotype: ♀ 1, United States: California, March 1939, Meinertzhagen Collection 12997 ( NHML).

Paratypes: ♀ 26, ♂ 26, United States: California, March 1939, Meinertzhagen Collection 12714, 12730, 12738, 12756, 12897, 12997, 12998 ( NHML) . ♀ 2, ♂ 1, United States: Texas, Meinertzhagen Collection 8121 ( NHML) .

Non-type material: ♀ 4, ♂ 7, United States: California, NM 18555 ( MONZ) . ♀ 2, ♂ 2, Canada: Saskatchewan: Old Wives Lake , BM 1960-443 ( NHML) . ♂ 2, Canada: Manitoba: Anola , 5 July 1932, Hopkins Collection ( NHML) . ♀ 2, Mexico?: Chiapan, J. Waterston Collection BM1930-232 ( NHML) . ♀ 1, ♂ 2, United States: California, J. Waterston Collection BM 1930-232 ( NHML) . ♀ 4, ♂ 8, Mexico: Yucatan: Cozumel Island , February 1886, J. Waterston Collection BM1930-232 ( NHML) .

Ex Limnodromus scolopaceus (synonym: Macroramphus griseus scolopaceus ) ♀ 1, Canada: British Columbia, May 1920, Meinertzhagen Collection (4302) ( NHML) .