Columbicola mendesi, Adams & Price & Clayton, 2005

Adams, Richard J., Price, Roger D. & Clayton, Dale H., 2005, Taxonomic revision of Old World members of the feather louse genus Columbicola (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera), including descriptions of eight new species, Journal of Natural History 39 (41), pp. 3545-3618 : 3589-3592

Columbicola mendesi n. sp.

( Figures 132–135 )

Type host

Ducula c. concinna (Wallace) .

Description

Male head as in Figure 132 ; APW, 0.172 –0.181 (0.176); HW, 0.36–0.38 (0.367); HL, 0.66–0.68 (0.670); HL/ HW, 1.78–1.86 (1.82); scape enlarged, SL, 0.122 –0.137 (0.129). Thorax with PW, 0.28–0.29 (0.284); MW, 0.34–0.36 (0.347). Genitalia as in Figure 134 ; mesosome narrow, expanded posteriorly, with transverse sclerites thickened, angled anteriorly; GW, 0.142 –0.172 (0.161). TL, 2.74–2.82 (2.79). Female head as in Figure 133 ; APW, 0.172 –0.186 (0.178); HW, 0.36–0.39 (0.375); HL, 0.66–0.70 (0.679); HL/ HW, 1.76–1.86 (1.81). Thorax with PW, 0.27–0.29 (0.286); MW, 0.34–0.38 (0.358). Ventral terminalia as in Figure 135 ; subgenital plate groove rounded anteriorly with lateral expansions; rarely 1–2 minute setae (0.005) on each side. TL, 2.82–3.04 (2.94) .

Type material

Holotype male at BMNH, ex D. c. concinna , Indonesia: Kei Isles , Meinertzhagen 10811 . Paratypes at BMNH: 7 males, 17 females, same data as holotype .

Remarks

Columbicola mendesi is quite similar to C. longiceps , but is distinctly larger, with the male genitalia having a narrower mesosome and thicker transverse sclerites. The Columbicola from D. concinna and D. rosacea were originally described by Tendeiro (1965) as part of the C. longiceps complex; however, the differences between these Columbicola and C. longiceps from other hosts are sufficient to warrant species level recognition. Although no individuals from D. rosacea were available for study, measurements of 1 female and 2 males, together with a photo of the male genitalia, are provided in Tendeiro (1965). These individuals were from hosts on the Island of Flores, Indonesia; they are identical in size and male genitalic structure to the C. mendesi found on D. concinna from the Kei Isles.

Etymology

This species is named for Luis F. Mendes, Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical, Lisbon, Portugal, in appreciation for his invaluable assistance with the acquisition of rare and long missing specimens.

Columbicola cavifrons (Taschenberg)

( Figures 136–139 )

Lipeurus baculus var. cavifrons Taschenberg 1882: 124 . Type hosts: Ducula aenea (L.) and D. badia (Raffles) .

Description

Male head as in Figure 136 ; APW, 0.157 –0.191 (0.171); HW, 0.32–0.35 (0.334); HL, 0.59–0.65 (0.635); HL/ HW, 1.82–1.97 (1.90); anterior head margin slightly to moderately indented. Thorax with PW, 0.25–0.27 (0.262); MW, 0.32–0.38 (0.336). Genitalia as in Figure 137 ; parameres narrow; mesosome broad, rectangular, slightly expanded posteriorly; transverse sclerites crossing mesosomal midline; GW, 0.127 –0.167 (0.150). TL, 2.45 –2.84 (2.68). Female head as in Figure 138 ; APW, 0.167 –0.186 (0.177); HW, 0.32–0.38 (0.351); HL, 0.62–0.66 (0.645); HL/ HW, 1.68–1.91 (1.84). Thorax with PW, 0.25–0.28 (0.267); MW, 0.30–0.38 (0.346). Ventral terminalia as in Figure 139 ; subgenital plate groove narrowly rounded anteriorly, with distinct lateral expansions. TL, 2.55–3.01 (2.84) .

Material

3 males, 1 female, ex D. a. aenea, Borneo (1). 10 males, 9 females, ex D. a. sylvatica ( Tickell ), Thailand (5) . 7 males, 7 females, ex D. a. palawanensis (W. H. Blasius ), Philippines (6) . 1 male, 2 females, ex D. a. paulina Bonaparte , Sulawesi, (1) . 2 males, ex D. a. nicobarica (Pelzeln) , Nicobar Island (1) . 1 male, 1 female, ex D. a. pusilla ( Blyth ), Ceylon (1) . 1 male, 1 female, ex D. a. consobrina ( Salvadori ), Nias Island (1) .

Remarks

Like C. longiceps , C. cavifrons is known from several forms of Southeast Asian Ducula and it, too, may represent a species complex. Taschenberg (1882) listed both D. aenea and D. badia as type hosts in his description of C. cavifrons , which was based on specimens from both of these host species. Years later, Eichler (1942b) described C. longiceps sikoraae from D. b. badia , which was later synonymized with C. cavifrons by Tendeiro (1965). Our examination of specimens from the two type hosts reveals consistent male and female genitalic differences. These differences warrant recognition of the lice from these hosts as different species: C. cavifrons and C. sikoraae Eichler (see below). However, this creates a problem concerning identity of the lice originally described by Taschenberg as C. cavifrons , since his original material is unavailable for study. The two host species have broadly overlapping ranges, and one cannot assume isolation between C. sikoraae on D. badia and C. cavifrons on D. aenea . For this reason, we recognize both D. aenea and D. badia as possible hosts of C. cavifrons .

Tendeiro (1965, 1984) recorded an additional six species of Ducula as hosts of C. cavifrons . Unfortunately, we were unable to acquire specimens of C. cavifrons from these other hosts. Since Tendeiro’s descriptions and measurements for the specimens he examined are quite similar to C. cavifrons , we continue to recognize them as members of this species. C. cavifrons can be identified by its size, by the structure of the anterior head margin, and by the shape of the male mesosome and female subgenital plate groove. Tendeiro (1979) also recorded a single C. cavifrons female from S. chinensis tigrina .

Columbicola sikoraae Eichler ( Figures 140, 141 ) Columbicola longiceps sikoraae Eichler 1942b: 284 . Type host: Ducula b. badia (Raffles) .

Description

Similar to C. cavifrons , differing in structure of male and female genitalia. Male head with APW, 0.161 –0.186 (0.172); HW, 0.32–0.37 (0.344); HL, 0.60–0.67 (0.644); HL/ HW, 1.73–1.94 (1.87). Thorax with PW, 0.25–0.33 (0.272); MW, 0.35–0.42 (0.376). Genitalia as in Figure 140 ; mesosome narrow, rectangular; GW, 0.137 –0.152 (0.145). TL, 2.47– 2.77 (2.66). Female head with APW, 0.162 –0.191 (0.177); HW, 0.33–0.37 (0.357); HL, 0.63–0.68 (0.663); HL/ HW, 1.73–1.92 (1.85). Thorax with PW, 0.25–0.29 (0.270); MW, 0.33–0.42 (0.370). Ventral terminalia as in Figure 141 ; subgenital plate groove broad anteriorly, constricting medially. TL, 2.72–3.06 (2.92) .

Material

3 males, 6 females, ex D. b. badia , Malaysia (2) . 11 males, 13 females, ex D. b. griseicapilla Walden , Thailand (8).

Remarks

Eichler (1942b) originally described C. sikoraae as a subspecies of C. longiceps . He based this solely on host association, ignoring the fact that Taschenberg (1882) had already described C. cavifrons from this host. Hopkins and Clay (1952) later recognized both C. cavifrons and C. sikoraae as full species; however, Tendeiro (1965) synonymized C. sikoraae with C. cavifrons . After examining many specimens from multiple hosts, we are elevating C. sikoraae to full species status. Columbicola sikoraae consistently shows a much narrower male mesosome, as well as a different shaped female subgenital plate groove, compared to C. cavifrons .

Columbicola xavieri Tendeiro

( Figures 142, 143 )

Columbicola xavieri Tendeiro 1967: 151 . Type host: Ptilinopus occipitalis Gray and Mitchell.

Description

Similar to the new species C. reedi , differing in genitalic structure and overall size. Male head with APW, 0.132; HW, 0.28; HL, 0.53; HL/HW, 1.89; medioposterior setae short, reaching halfway to posterior head margin. Thorax with PW, 0.22; MW, 0.28. Genitalia as in Figure 142 ; mesosome highly reduced, crossed by laterally expanded transverse sclerite; GW, 0.103. TL, 2.19. Female head with APW, 0.137; HW, 0.28; HL, 0.57; HL/HW 2.04. Thorax with PW, 0.22; MW, 0.26. Ventral terminalia as in Figure 143 ; subgenital plate groove pointed anteriorly with lateral projections, contracting medially, expanding posteriorly. TL, 2.45.

Material

1 male, 1 female (including holotype male of C. xavieri ), ex P. occipitalis , Philippines (2).

Remarks

Columbicola xavieri was described from a single male. Although similar to other members of the longiceps group, C. xavieri is distinctly smaller with a unique genitalic structure. The above description is the first for a female C. xavieri . Unfortunately, debris within the body prevents study of the details of this specimen. The female was identified based on a shared host and similarities in the internal sclerotization of the head between this louse and the holotype male. The shape of the subgenital plate groove is most similar to C. sikoraae , but the groove is narrower in C. xavieri .

Figures

Figures 131–146. Columbicola longiceps: (131) male genitalia. C. mendesi: (132) male dorsal head; (133) female dorsal head; (134) male genitalia; (135) female ventral terminalia. C. cavifrons: (136) male dorsal head; (137) male genitalia; (138) female dorsal head; (139) female ventral terminalia. C. sikoraae: (140) male genitalia; (141) female ventral terminalia. C. xavieri: (142) male genitalia; (143) female ventral terminalia. C. harrisoni: (144) male dorsal head; (145) female dorsal head; (146) male genitalia.