Guimaraesiella (Cicchinella) falcifrons Gustafsson, Clayton

Gustafsson, Daniel R., Clayton, Dale H. & Bush, Sarah E., 2019, Twelve new species of Guimaraesiella (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera: Philopteridae) from “ babblers ” (Passeriformes: Leiothrichidae, Pellorneidae, Timaliidae) with a description of a new subgenus and a key to its species, Zootaxa 4543 (4), pp. 451-497 : 474-476

Guimaraesiella (Cicchinella) falcifrons Gustafsson, Clayton & Bush, new species

( Figs 54–58 )

Type host. Actinodura cyanouroptera sordidior (Sharpe, 1888) —blue-winged minla ( Leiothrichidae ).

Type locality. Mount Brinchang , Malaysia .

Diagnosis. The male genitalia of Guimaraesiella (C.) falcifrons is unique among all species of Cicchinella , easily distinguishing it from all other species in the subgenus. Non-genitalic characters of G. (C.) falcifrons are superficially similar to those of G. (C.) sehri , with which it shares the following characters: (1) lateral margins of preantennal head ( Figs 3 , 58 ) fairly straight; (2) antennae not sexually dimorphic ( Figs 3 , 58 ); (3) pns microsetae ( Figs 3 , 58 ); and (4) dorsal preantennal suture does not reach lateral margins of head ( Figs 3 , 58 ). However, these two species are separated by the following genitalic characters: (1) anterior basal apodeme flattened in G. (C.) falcifrons ( Fig. 55 ) but rounded in G. (C.) sehri ( Fig. 4 ); (2) mesosomal ventral sclerite long and narrow, with an anterior rugose area in G. (C.) sehri ( Fig. 5 ) but short and broad, and without such area in G. (C.) falcifrons ( Fig. 56 ); (3) distal mesosome much broader in G. (C.) falcifrons ( Fig. 56 ) than in G. (C.) sehri ( Fig. 5 ); (4) anterior margin of distal nodi concave in G. (C.) sehri ( Fig. 5 ) but sinuous in G. (C.) falcifrons ( Fig. 56 ); and (5) both lpmes lateral in G. (C.) sehri ( Fig. 5 ) but distal and sublateral in G (C.) falcifrons ( Fig. 56 ).

Description. Male. Head pentagonal ( Fig. 58 ). Lateral margins of preantennal head straight. Dorsal preantennal suture does not reach lateral margins of head, nor completely separate dorsal anterior plate from main head plate. Attachments of mandibular adductor muscles prominent. Head chaetotaxy as in Fig. 58 ; pns microsetae. Coni broad, short, not approaching distal margin of scape. Scape not swollen. Gular plate moderate, triangular. Thoracic and abdominal segments and chaetotaxy as in Fig. 54 . Reentrant heads of pleurites broad, blunt. Genitalia as in Figs 55–57 . Basal apodeme broad ( Fig. 55 ), roughly rectangular, with slight constriction at mid-length.

Proximal mesosome broad ( Fig. 56 ), rectangular. Ventral sclerite broad, short, not extending much anteriorly. Mesosomal lobes broad, with strongly sinuous lateral margins. Marginal thickenings of mesosomal lobes not displaced medianly in anterior end. Large irregular nodi with sinuous anterior margins on distal mesosome. Gonopore simple, as in Fig. 56 ; 2 ames sensilla on each side near antero-lateral corners of mesosomal lobes; gpmes not visible in examined male; 2 lpmes microsetae on each side, the anterior one situated laterally in concavity of mesosomal margin, the posterior one situated sublaterally. Parameral heads irregular ( Fig. 57 ), narrowing proximally. Parameral blades long, slender, tapering gently; pst1–2 both sensilla, close together. Measurements (n = 1): TL = 1.13; HL = 0.29; HW = 0.30; PRW = 0.17; PTW = 0.26; AW = 0.38.

Female. Unknown.

Etymology. The species epithet is formed by “ falx ”, Latin for “reaping hook”, and “ frons ”, Latin for “forehead”, referring to the hook-shaped dark markings on the preantennal area (grey lines in Fig. 58 ).

Type material. Ex Actinodura cyanouroptera sordidior : Holotype ♂, Mount Brinchang , Malaysia, 20 Nov. 1961, M-00488 ( OSUS).

Figures

FIGURES 54–58. Guimaraesiella (Cicchinella) falcifrons n. sp. 54, male, whole body, dorsal and ventral views. 55, male genitalia, dorsal view. 56, male mesosome, ventral view. 57, male paramere, dorsal view. 58, male head, dorsal and ventral views.

FIGURES 3–7. Guimaraesiella (Cicchinella) sehri (Ansari, 1955). 3, male head, dorsal and ventral views. 4, male genitalia, dorsal view. 5, male mesosome, ventral view. 6, male paramere, dorsal view. 7, female subgenital plate and vulval margin, ventral view. Abbreviations: ARA = anterior rugose area; ames = anterior mesosomal setae; gpmes = gonoporal posterior mesosomal setae; lpmes = lateral posterior mesosomal setae; TN = triangular nodus; VS = mesosomal ventral sclerite.

FIGURES 1–2. Guimaraesiella (Cicchinella) sehri (Ansari, 1955). 1, male, whole body, dorsal and ventral views. 2, female, whole body, dorsal and ventral views.