Bobdalgleishia stephanophallus Valim & Cicchino

Valim, Michel P. & Cicchino, Armando C., 2015, A remarkable new genus and a new species of chewing louse (Phthiraptera, Ischnocera, Philopteridae) from Brazil, ZooKeys 541, pp. 57-70 : 60-64

Taxon classification Animalia Phthiraptera Philopteridae

Bobdalgleishia stephanophallus Valim & Cicchino sp. n. Figs 1, 2, 3 A–C

Type host.

Jacamerops aureus ridgwayi Todd, 1943 - great jacamar [ ridgwayi ] ( Galbulidae ).

Type locality.

Alto Rio Cururu, Pará, Brazil.

Diagnosis.

Bobdalgleishia stephanophallus can be easily separated from the four species of the genus Motmotnirmus ( Motmotnirmus marginellus (Nitzsch [in Giebel], 1866) the type species; Motmotnirmus xilitla (Carriker, 1954); Motmotnirmus guatemalensis (Dalgleish, 1971), and Motmotnirmus humphreyi (Oniki & Emerson, 1982)) by the generic characters discussed above, i.e. head chaetotaxy (compare Figs 3A and 3D), male genitalia (compare Figs 3B and 3E), and female gonapophysis (compare Figs 3C and 3F). In addition, tergites VII–VIII in species of Motmotnirmus have more than four posterior tergal setae on each segment (Fig. 3F), in Bobdalgleishia stephanophallus these same segments have fewer setae (males sometimes with 1+1 on VII only) (Fig. 3C).

Description.

Male. Habitus as in Figs 1A and 2A. Body pigmentation light-yellow, except for the head marginal carina and pre-antennal nodi strongly brownish (Fig. 1A).

Headas in Figs 1A, 2A and 3A, slightly shorter than wide, with cephalic index (HL/TW) 0.9. Coni well developed and subequal in length with scape. Preantennal region tapered, preantennal margins slightly convex, and marginal temporal margins rounded. Small and nearly convex hyaline margin between tips of the pre-marginal carina each side (Fig. 3A). Preantennal region with internal margins of carinae distinctly thick and irregular (Figs 1A and 3A). Frontoclypeal suture light and distinct, its nodal area (preantennal nodus) roughly circular in shape and very well sclerotized. Gular plate roughly rhomboid and uniformly pigmented. Temples rounded; marginal temporal carina darker pigmented and medium thick, with its inner margin nearly uniform up to the level of mts4 (Fig. 3A).

Thoraxas in Figs 1A and 2A. Pterothorax with 7 marginal setae on each side (rarely 6 in one or both sides); pterothoracic apodeme (metepisternum) not well pigmented, reaching the lateral margins of the segment. Meso- and metasternal plates not fused, both grossly rounded and bearing a pair of long setae each.

Abdomenas in Figs 1A and 2A. Tergites uniformly pigmented, except for a small area around spiracles (Fig. 1A). Tergal chaetotaxy: postspiracular long on II–VII; accessory setae absent; and one medium long sutural seta on II–VII. Tergite VIII: trichoid lateral setae thin and medium long, and five setae subequal in length to trichoid setae. Tergite IX+X medially divided, with 2 medium long and 3-4 short setae. Paratergal chaetotaxy: II–III 0; IV–V 2; VI–VIII 3. Paratergites II–VIII with internal incrassation forming an inverted-L on each side of the abdominal segments. Sterna II–VI lacking sclerotized plates, each with four long setae (rarely 2 setae on II, or 6 on VI) set on the soft tegument, one unpaired small and anterior setae on segment II in the holotype. Subgenital plate present and sclerotized, the only sternite visible, but outline completely indistinct (Fig. 2A).

Genitalia as in Fig. 3B. Basal plate proximally wide, narrowing distally, with enlarged thickened lateral margins; parameres allantoid ( “sausage-shaped”), their bases without defined head, but completely articulated with basal plate, each bearing one subapical sensillum and one apical microseta; mesosomal complex tube-shape, with 2 ventral pairs of sensilla each side, and distally reaching the mid-length of parameres; gonopore is also a large tube, but narrower than the mesosomal tube, and with a distinct crown bordered with indentations, more conspicuous ventrally (Fig. 3A).

Measurements (n = 2): ANW 0.10; PAW 0.39-0.40; TW 0.51-0.53; HL 0.45-0.47; PW 0.24-0.25; PL 0.13-0.14; PEW 0.35-0.36; PEL 0.13-0.15; AWV 0.51-0.54; AL 0.98-1.07; BAW 0.07-0.09; BPW 0.05-0.07; MEW 0.05; PRW 0.02-0.03; PAW 0.02; BAL 0.16; MEL 0.08-0.09; PAL 0.11-0.12; BAMEL 0.24-0.25; GL 0.26-0.28; TL 1.64-1.70.

Female. Habitus and coloration similar to males (Figs 1B and 2B), except for size and details of terminal segments. Head short, with cephalic index (HL/TW) 0.8. Abdominal tergites II–VII and sternites II–VI as in male for coloration, incrassation, and chaetotaxy.

Pterothorax with 6+5 (11 in total) marginal setae on each side. Tergites II–VIII divided medially, with internal end nearly rounded. Paratergal chaetotaxy: II–III 0; IV–V 2; VI–VIII 3. Sternal plates as in males (Fig. 2B); number of sternal setae on II 5, III 8, IV 4, V 4, VI 5. Tergite VIII: each side with one thin trichoid lateral seta, one innermost seta and one sutural seta (Fig. 3C). Tergites XI fused with those of IX+X (Figs 1B, 2B, and 3C). Morphology and chaetotaxy of terminalia as in Fig. 3C.

Subgenital plate indistinct in the single female studied, with 2-3 small setae on each side (Fig. 3C). Gonapophyses bear one spine-like setae each, both directed medio-posteriorly and arising from a distinct tubercle. Vulva with only two submarginal short spiniform setae on each side, and 10 medium-long thin setae on its posterior margin (Fig. 3C). Area of the subgenital plate with one pair of long medial seta, plus two pairs of medium long setae each side, all along sternum VIII (Fig. 3C).

Measurements (n = 1): ANW 0.10; PAW 0.45; TW 0.59; HL 0.50; PW 0.27; PL 0.15; PEW 0.40; PEL 0.15; AWV 0.62; AL 1.26; TL 1.94.

Etymology.

The species epithet is a composite of the Greek words Στέφανο (stephano-) and φαλλός (-phallus), which mean 'a crown’ and 'the penis’. It makes allusion to the crowned structure on the opening of the male gonopore. It is an adjective in the nominative singular.

Type material.

Holotype ♂ (MZUSP #6363), ex Jacamerops aureus ridgwayi Todd, 1943 (#A.2880, voucher at MNRJ); BRAZIL: Pará, Alto Rio Cururu (07°12'S, 58°04'W; 50m), 6.VI.1957, H. Sick coll. Paratypes: 1♂, 1♀ (MZUSP #6363-6364), same data as holotype.

Additional material examined.

Motmotnirmus marginellus (Nitzsch [in Giebel], 1866): 3♂, 3♀ (MZUSP #6342-6348), ex Momotus momota (Linnaeus, 1766) ( Aves: Coraciiformes : Momotidae ) (voucher at MZUSP #98878), BRAZIL: Pará, Fazenda Fartura (09°38'04.1"S, 50°28'37.6"W, 160m), Santana do Araguaia,. VIII.2014, A. Gouvea coll.

Remarks.

The morphological differences between the single species of Bobdalgleishia and those of Motmotnirmus are congruent with the evolutionary history of their host groups: Galbuliformes and Coraciiformes , respectively (e.g. Livezey and Zusi 2007, Hackett et al. 2008, Yuri et al. 2013). However, it is surprising to find that the shape of the mesosomal plate and the “crowned” gonopore in the male genitalia of Bobdalgleishia stephanophallus are unique features among all the species of the Brueelia -complex. Some unrelated genera of Philopteridae - Rallicola (Aptericola) Harrison, 1915 ( Rallicola -complex) as an example - have mesosomes with similar shape (see Clay 1972: figs 13-15), whereas the mesosome and crowned gonopore are similar to those of some members of the family Heptapsogasteridae - Rhopaloceras almeidai Guimarães, 1946: fig 5, as an example. We believe these similarities are the result of evolutionary convergence, and have no phylogenetic implications.

Considering that the Piciformes are also included in the same large group as Galbuliformes and Coraciiformes (e.g., Livezey and Zusi 2007, Hackett et al. 2008, Yuri et al. 2013), this new genus needs to be compared with lice of the Brueelia -complex found on those hosts. Species from both Picidae (see Dalgleish 1971) and Ramphastidae (see Cicchino 1983) only have the mts3 very long (against os, mts1-3 very long in Bobdalgleishia ). In addition, species from woodpeckers belong to Brueelia Kéler, 1936 (sensu stricto), whereas those found on toucans to the genus Traihoriella Ansari, 1947 (D.R. Gustafsson pers. comm. 2015).