Columbicola longiceps (Rudow, 1869)

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 : 3587-3589

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.1080/00222930500393368
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/CB3C8797-C316-870B-FE00-1AC0FCADFA25
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Columbicola longiceps
status

Treatment

17. longiceps View in CoL species group

The nine species of this group are from the host genera Ducula , Ptilinopus , Goura , and Sphecotheres . The longiceps group is the most morphologically variable of the Columbicola species groups. Its members have the anterior marginal carina complete ( Figure 144 View Figures 131–146 ) or divided ( Figure 129 View Figures 112–130 ); anterior marginal head deeply indented ( Figure 129 View Figures 112–130 ), weakly indented ( Figure 136 View Figures 131–146 ), or rounded ( Figure 145 View Figures 131–146 ); body either elongate or ovoid; and each side of metanotum with three long, one short setae ( Figure 3 View Figures 1–18 ). Male antenna with or without enlarged scape and spur; mesosome with ‘‘ribbon-like’’ transverse sclerite ( Figure 131 View Figures 131–146 ). Female subgenital plate groove variable, but always with degree of medial constriction ( Figure 135 View Figures 131–146 ).

Columbicola longiceps (Rudow)

( Figures 129–131 View Figures 112–130 View Figures 131–146 )

Lipeurus longiceps Rudow 1869: 39 View in CoL . Type host: Ducula perspicillata (Temminck) View in CoL .

Lipeurus forficula Piaget 1885: 83 View in CoL . Type host: ‘‘ Epimachus albus ’’5 Epimachus sp. ( Passeriformes View in CoL : Paradisaeidae View in CoL ).

Parasoricella wolffhuegeli Eichler 1952b: 77 View in CoL . Type host: Ducula bicolor luctuosa (Temminck) View in CoL .

Description

Body elongate; anterior head margin indented. Male head as in Figure 129 View Figures 112–130 ; APW, 0.157 – 0.181 (0.167); HW, 0.33–0.38 (0.348); HL, 0.60–0.66 (0.624); HL/ HW, 1.68–1.94 (1.80); scape moderately enlarged, SL, 0.113 –0.147 (0.134); medioposterior setae short, not reaching posterior head margin. Thorax with PW, 0.25–0.28 (0.270); MW, 0.29–0.35 (0.331). Genitalia as in Figure 131 View Figures 131–146 ; parameres thin and laterally rounded; mesosome narrow to broadly ovoid, slightly expanded posteriorly; GW, 0.147 –0.186 (0.170). TL, 2.30–2.45 (2.38). Female head as in Figure 130 View Figures 112–130 ; APW, 0.171 –0.186 (0.177); HW, 0.34– 0.40 (0.376); HL, 0.61–0.69 (0.66); HL/ HW, 1.65–1.91 (1.76). Thorax with PW, 0.26– 0.31 (0.298); MW, 0.33–0.37 (0.353). Subgenital plate with groove short, rounded anteriorly with distinct lateral expansions, and 0–2 setae (0.005 –0.012) on each side. TL, 2.52–2.78 (2.65) GoogleMaps .

Material

5 males, 8 females, ex D. chalconota (Salvadori) , New Guinea (3) . 5 males, 4 females, ex D. rufigaster (Quoy and Gaimard) , New Guinea (2) . 1 male, ex D. pistrinaria Bonaparte , New Guinea (1) . 2 males, 1 female, ex D. pacifica (Gmelin) , Republic of Vanuatu (1).

Remarks

Tendeiro (1965, 1979, 1984) recorded C. longiceps from 12 different host species, nearly all in the genus Ducula . Due to their large size and unique male genitalic structure, we recognize specimens from D. concinna (Wallace) and D. rosacea (Temminck) as the separate new species C. mendesi . We examined specimens from four additional host species and, even though some differences were found among their lice, the limited number of specimens and subtlety of the differences does not warrant separation into different species. An additional difficulty is that we were unable to obtain specimens from the type host D. perspicillata . Although some measurements from such specimens are available in Tendeiro (1965), there is not enough information to allow us to do a thorough evaluation. Further collecting may reveal additional species level differences among the C. longiceps populations on different Ducula species.

Eichler (1952b) proposed a new genus and species, Parasoricella wolffhuegeli ex Ducula luctuosa , as a form intermediate between Columbicola and the then recognized genus Soricella . Unfortunately, the description of this louse was inadequate and no illustrations were provided. Hopkins and Clay (1953) placed P. wolffhuegeli in Columbicola after they synonymized Soricella with Columbicola . Based on its known host and the few details of head shape available, Tendeiro (1965) synonymized C. wolffhuegeli with C. longiceps . While synonymizing a species without detailed examination is impertinent, Tendeiro is probably correct in his placement of C. wolffhuegeli with C. longiceps . In this situation, we believe it appropriate to follow Tendeiro’s lead. C olumbicola longiceps is recognized by its size, elongate shape, indented anterior head margin, and genitalic structure. In addition to the normal Ducula hosts, Tendeiro (1979) recorded single individuals of C. longiceps from Treron phoenicopterus (Latham) and Streptopelia chinensis tigrina .