Morphological revision of the hyperdiverse Brueelia - complex (Insecta: Phthiraptera: Ischnocera: Philopteridae) with new taxa, checklists and generic key
Author
Bush, Sarah E.
text
Zootaxa
2017
2017-08-31
4313
1
1
443
journal article
32249
10.11646/zootaxa.4313.1.1
d8cc2cd8-8410-49aa-a75d-7a41d9f52b26
1175-5326
883161
A5Fdfba5-F992-44A8-84C2-1756C943C19B
Saepocephalum
Gustafsson & Bush
,
new genus
Type species.
Saepocephalum stephenfryi
new species
Diagnosis.
Saepocephalum
n. gen.
does not appear to be morphologically close to any other genus treated here. The fused ventral anterior plate, undisplaced marginal carina (
Fig. 240
), and clypeo-labral suture that does not reach the anterior margin of the head is shared by only two other genera in the
Brueelia
-complex:
Harpactrox
n. gen.
(
Figs 248
, 255, 260) and
Anarchonirmus
n. gen.
(
Fig. 116
). Other than these characters, neither of these genera appear to be close to
Saepocephalum
.
Both
Anarchonirmus
(
Figs 116–117
) and
Saepocephalum
n. gen (
Figs 240–241
) have sexually dimorphic antennae, and
as3
is absent in both genera (
Figs 116
,
240
). Both genera also lack dorsal preantennal sutures, apart from the isolated suture around the
ads
in
Saepocephalum
(
Fig. 240
). In both
Anarchonirmus
(
Figs 114–115
) and
Saepocephalum
(
Figs 238–239
) the tergopleurites do not reach the lateral margins of the abdomen. However, abdominal chaetotaxy is very different in these two genera (
Table 2
), and the modifications of the male flagellomeres seen in
Anarchonirmus
(
Fig. 116
) are not seen in
Saepocephalum
(
Fig. 240
). In both genera there is sclerotization of the vulval margin, but in
Anarchonirmus
(
Fig. 121
) this cross-piece medianly displaced, but complete, whereas in
Saepocephalum
(
Fig. 245
) these sclerotized plates are laterally detached. The proximal mesosome of
Anarchonirmus
(
Fig. 118
) does not overlap with the basal apodeme, and is not thickened anteriorly; in
Saepocephalum
(
Fig. 242
) the mesosome overlaps with the basal apodeme and is thickened anteriorly. Gonopore is terminal in
Anarchonirmus
(
Fig. 119
), but ventral in
Saepocephalum
(
Fig. 243
), and the mesosomal lobes are fused distally in
Saepocephalum
, but separate distally in
Anarchonirmus
. Parameral heads are blunt and simple in
Anarchonirmus
(
Fig. 120
), but folded medianly and with complex ornamentations in
Saepocephalum
(
Fig. 244
).
Similarities between
Saepocephalum
and
Harpactrox
are slightly larger, as in both genera
as3
are absent (
Figs 240
,
248
), parameral heads are folded medianly (
Figs 244
,
251
), and proximal mesosome overlaps with basal apodeme (
Figs 242
,
249
). In addition, in both
Harpactrox
(
Figs 246–247
) and
Saepocephalum
(
Fig. 238–239
)
psps
are absent on female tergopleurites II–III and male tergopleurite II; these are present in in
Anarchonirmus
(
Figs 114–115
).
A
dorsal preantennal suture is typically present in both
Saepocephalum
(
Fig. 240
) and
Harpactrox
(
Figs 248
, 255, 260), this suture is medianly continuous in
Harpactrox
, but, when present, isolated around the
ads
in
Saepocephalum
. All
mts
are microsetae in
Harpactrox
(
Figs 248
, 255, 260), but
mts
3
is a macroseta in
Saepocephalum
(
Fig. 240
). The subgenital plate does not form a cross-piece in
Harpactrox
(
Figs 252
, 259, 262), unlike in
Saepocephalum
(
Fig. 245
) which has a laterally detached cross-piece. Parameral heads are folded medianly in both genera, but those of
Harpactrox
(
Figs 251
, 258) are much simpler than those of
Saepocephalum
(
Fig. 244
), and the parameral blades are more elongated and angular in
Saepocephalum
than in
Harpactrox
.
pst1–2
are both sensilla in
Saepocephalum
(
Fig. 244
), but
pst2
are microsetae in
Harpactrox
(
Figs 251
, 258). Gonopore is terminal in
Harpactrox
(
Figs 250
, 257), but ventral in
Saepocephalum
(
Fig. 243
).
No
ames
are visible in
Saepocephalum
; these are microsetae in
Harpactrox
(
Figs 250
, 257).
Description.
Both sexes
. Head broad, convex-dome shaped (
Fig. 240
). Marginal carina uninterrupted. Clypeolabral suture does not reach anterior margin of head. Dorsal preantennal suture present only around apertures of
ads
in some specimens. Ventral carinae diffuse anterior to pulvinus and not clearly continuous with marginal carina. Ventral anterior plate present, continuous with marginal carina. Head setae as in
Fig. 240
;
as3
absent. Coni small. Antennae sexually dimorphic, with male scapes (
Fig. 240
) about twice the length of that of female (
Fig. 241
), and slightly swollen. Temporal carinae not visible;
mts
3
only macrosetae. Gular plate spade-shaped.
Prothorax small, rectangular (
Figs 238–239
);
ppss
on postero-lateral corner. Proepimera slender, hook-shaped, curling around coxae II. Pterothorax trapezoidal to pentagonal; lateral margins divergent; posterior margin either roughly flat or vaguely convergent to median point. Meso- and metasterna not fused; setae only on postero-lateral corners of mesosternum; metasternum nude. Metepisterna broad, median ends blunt.
mms
moderately interrupted medianly. Leg chaetotaxy as in
Fig. 25
, except
fI-p2, fII-v2, fIII-v2
absent;
fI-v4
absent in males, but present, spikelike in females.
Abdomen (
Figs 238–239
) oblong in female, more oval in male. Abdominal chaetotaxy as in
Table 2
and
Figs 238–239
. Tergopleurites rectangular; tergopleurites II–IX+X in male and tergopleurites II–VIII in female narrowly separated medianly. Tergopleurites do not reach lateral margins of abdomen. Sternal plates rectangular, not approaching lateral margins of abdomen. Pleural incrassations of segments II–VIII in both sexes as latitudinal thickenings on antero-lateral margin of tergopleurites.
Male
subgenital plate roughly triangular, with sinuous lateral margin, reaching posterior margin of abdomen. Female subgenital plate roughly pentagonal, distal lateral margins concave. Lateral marginal plates present, detached from subgenital plate (
Fig. 245
). Vulval margin (
Fig. 245
) with slender
vms
, thorn-like
vss
;
vos
follow lateral margins of subgenital plate; distal
vos
median to
vss
.
Male
genitalia (
Figs 242–244
) distinct. Basal apodeme roughly rectangular, anterior margin diffuse, flaring. Proximal mesosome slender, elongated, overlapping with basal apodeme, and with proximal margin thickened. Gonopore (
Fig. 243
) ventral, open distally, continuous with subparallel ventral ridges. Mesosomal lobes rounded, fused distal to gonopore; 2
pmes
microsetae visible on lateral margin of lobes on either side. Parameral heads (
Fig. 244
) folded, rectangular, with serrated posterior margins and several ridges on dorsal side. Parameral blades slender and elongated;
pst1–2
sensilla, central, near distal tip of paramere.
Host distribution.
Saepocephalum
is monotypic, restricted to
Corcorax melanoramphos
(Vieillot, 1817)
. No lice of the
Brueelia
-complex are known from the only other species in the family
Corcoracidae
:
Struthidea cinerea
Gould, 1837
.
Geographical range.
Australia.
Etymology.
The genus name is derived from the Latin “
saepes
” for “fence”, and Greek “
kefali
”, meaning “head”. This refers to the dorsally and ventrally complete marginal carina (
Fig. 240
), a condition that is rare within the
Brueelia
-complex. Gender: neuter.
Remarks.
In the phylogeny of Bush
et al
. (2016),
Saepocephalum
was placed inside a clade containing
Traihoriella
and
Bizarrifrons
,
neither of which resembles
Saepocephalum
morphologically. The support values for all deeper association in this clade were low, and the association of
Saepocephalum
with
Traihoriella
and
Bizarrifrons
is not supported.
Included species
*
Saepocephalum stephenfryi
new species