Brueelia canyonica, Gustafsson & Bush, 2021

Gustafsson, Daniel R. & Bush, Sarah E., 2021, Descriptions of seven new species of Brueelia Kéler 1936 (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera: Philopteridae) from North American sparrows (Aves: Passeriformes: Passerellidae), and review of host use by Brueelia vulgata, Journal of Natural History 54 (33 - 34), pp. 2071-2112 : 2091-2092

Brueelia canyonica sp. nov.

Type host

Melozone fusca ( Swainson 1827) – canyon towhee.

Type locality

Las Vacas, Coahuila, Mexico .

Diagnosis

Brueelia canyonica sp. nov. is most similar to Brueelia californica sp. nov., with which it shares the following characters: aps absent from male tergopleurites VI–VII ( Figures 7a and 9a ); ss present on male tergopleurite V ( Figures 7a and 9a ); ps absent on male abdominal segment III ( Figures 7a and 9a ), but present on female abdominal segment III ( Figures 7b and 9b ); gonopore broad (8c and 10c); rugose area of mesosomal lobes confined to posterior margin (8c and 9c). These two species can be separated by the following characters: proximal mesosome narrowly rounded in B. californica ( Figure 8c ), but broadly rounded in B. canyonica ( Figure 10c ); gonopore with concave antero-lateral corners in B. californica ( Figure 8c ), but with rounded antero-lateral margins in B. canyonica ( Figure 10c ).

Description

Both sexes. Head convex dome-shaped ( Figure 10a ), lateral margins of preantennal head slightly convex, frons flattened to slightly concave. Marginal carina moderate, deeply displaced and slightly widened at osculum; median margins undulated. Ventral anterior plate small, roughly rectangular. Head chaetotaxy as in Figure 10a . Preantennal nodi slender, slightly bulging. Pre- and postocular nodi moderate. Marginal temporal carina with very irregular median margin. Gular plate lanceolate. Thoracic and abdominal segments as in Figure 9a–b . Base pigmentation very pale, except marginal carina, margins of antennal socket, marginal temporal carina, proepimera, metepisterna, and lateral margins of tergopleurites III–VIII with brown pigmentation.

Male. Thoracic and abdominal chaetotaxy as in Figure 9a ; ss present on tergopleurite V; tps absent on tergopleurites II–VII in holotype, but present on tergopleurite VII in paratype; aps absent on tergopleurites II–VII in holotype, but present on tergopleurite VII in paratype; ps absent on abdominal segment III. Basal apodeme narrowing anteriorly ( Figure 10b ). Proximal mesosome broad, anterior margin slightly convex, overall shape roughly trapezoidal ( Figure 10c ). Mesosomal lobes wide, angular, with rugose area limited to distal margin; 2 pmes sensilla on each side of gonopore. Gonopore broad, distal margin concave, anterior margin convex. Penile arms nearly reach distal margin of mesosome. parameres slender, elongated, pst1–2 as in Figure 10d . Measurements (n = 3): TL = 1.35–1.53; HL = 0.33–0.36; HW = 0.26–0.27; PRW = 0.16–0.18; PTW = 0.26–0.28; AW = 0.34–0.40.

Female. Thoracic and abdominal chaetotaxy as in Figure 9b ; ps present on abdominal segment III. Lateral margins of proximal subgenital plate more or less parallel ( Figure 10e ), with wide connection to cross-piece. Vulval margin gently rounded, bulging slightly at median ( Figure 10e ), with 2–4 short, slender vms and 3–4 short, thorn-like vss on each side; 3–4 short, slender vos on each side of subgenital plate; distal 1 vos median to vss. Measurements (n = 5): TL = 1.58–1.74; HL = 0.36–0.39; HW = 0.28–0.29; PRW = 0.19; PTW = 0.28–0.31; AW = 0.38–0.45.

Etymology

The specific name is derived from the Spanish ‘ cañon ’ for ‘gorge’, referring to the English name for the type host and the common habitat of the host species.

Material examined

Ex Melozone fusca [ as Pipilo fuscus ]: Holotype ♂, Las Vacas, Coahuila, Mexico, 31 July 1958, C .A. Ely, CAE-738 ( NHML) . Paratypes. 2♀, same data as holotype ( NHML); 1♂, 2♀, same data as holotype (PIPeR); 1♀, same locality, 5 August 1958, C .A. Ely, CAE-765 (PIPeR).

Figures

Figure 7. Brueelia californica sp. nov. ex Melozone crissalis (Vigors 1839). (A) male habitus, dorsal and ventral views; (b) female habitus, dorsal and ventral views.

Figure 8. Brueelia californica sp. nov. ex Melozone crissalis (Vigors 1839). (a) male head, dorsal and ventral views; (b) male genitalia, dorsal view (c) male mesosome, ventral view; (d) male paramere, dorsal view; (e) female subgenital plate and vulval margin, ventral view.

Figure 9. Brueelia canyonica sp. nov. ex Melozone fusca (Swainson 1827). (a) male habitus, dorsal and ventral views; (b) female habitus, dorsal and ventral views.

Figure 10. Brueelia canyonica sp. nov. ex Melozone fusca (Swainson 1827). (a) male head, dorsal and ventral views; (b) male genitalia, dorsal view (c) male mesosome, ventral view; (d) male paramere, dorsal view; (e) female subgenital plate and vulval margin, ventral view.