Quadraceps parabolicus Eichler

Gustafsson, Daniel R. & Olsson, Urban, 2012, 3377, Zootaxa 3377, pp. 1-85 : 75-77

Quadraceps parabolicus Eichler [in Niethammer], 1953, comb. nov.

( Fig. 30a–e; Table 1)

Lunaceps parabolicus Eichler [in Niethammer], 1953: 270

Lunaceps parabolicus Eichler ; Hopkins and Clay, 1955: 183

Lunaceps parabolicus Eichler ; Price et al., 2003: 196

Type host: Vanellus resplendens ( Tschudi, 1843)

Diagnosis: Hyaline margin extensive and spatulate, enclosing the marginal carina laterally ( Fig. 30a). Dorsal anterior plate clearly defined, and roughly quadrate, but with posterior edge rounded. Marginal carina interrupted laterally by the dorsal preantennal suture, as well as anteriorly by the ventral preantennal suture. Ventral carina clearly defined. On dorsal side, the post-marginal carina turns inwards and forms a broad band across the head, which is interrupted medially by a thin posterior extension of the dorsal preantennal suture. Ventrally, this inward extension of the post-marginal carina is thinner, and follows the anterior edge of the dorsal extension. No transverse suture. PNS associated with a long occipital suture bending medially and posteriorly. OS long and quite broad; POS short and positioned just posterior to the post-ocular nodus. MTS1 and MTS3 macrosetae, all others MTS microsetae. Gular plate indistinct, but usually triangular, and only vaguely sclerotized internally.

Pterothoracic dorsal plate indented anteriorly; more obvious in males ( Fig. 30b, c). Setal arrangement in both sexes similar to that of Lunaceps species.

Tergal plates divided medially in segment II–III of both sexes ( Fig. 30c). In females, tergites of segments IV–VII divided partially, and those of segments VIII–IX at least indented anteriorly. In males, tergite IV divided partially, and tergite V weakly indented. Paratergal plates present in segments II–VIII and apparently variable, but always quite narrow, and lacking overlap with sternites. Tergal heads pointed and re-entrant. In segments II–III, these re-entrant heads sometimes shaped as coarse hooks. Male abdominal segments VIII–IX have subsidiary ventral plates.

Female genital lobes with 4 posterior marginal setae, 4 sub-marginal setae, and 5 median marginal setae ( Fig. 30d). Similar to Lunaceps , but the sub-marginal setae are positioned further from the posterior margin, and the lobes are of different shape. Laterally, the lobes are thickened. Parameres are broad and together form a circle surrounding the mesomere almost completely ( Fig. 30e). One small seta is positioned on the outward side of each paramere, about one fifth of the length from the distal tip. Parameral heads complex, with median thickening and an anteriorly protruding point. Basal endomere missing. Mesomere pointed and narrow distally. Lower apodeme simple, with no lateral thickenings (contra Eichler, 1953).

Discussion: Timmermann (1957) suggested that L. parabolicus might be a straggler, but in all likelihood, it is identical to Quadraceps hoplopteri incai Timmermann (1954b) . Eichler’s original description is almost singularly unhelpful, stating only that “Die neue Art ist durch den vorgezogenen Clypeus von L. actophilus deutlich unterschieden” (“The new species can be clearly separated from L. actophilus by the advanced clypeus”; our translation), with a reference to two illustrations.

However, the illustration of the head seems to be a mixture of the dorsal and the ventral side, and any dorsal characters of the clypeus that would separate it from L. actophilus are crowded out. In the characters that can be seen, there are some that would place it in Lunaceps and some that would place it outside Lunaceps . For instance, the anterior end seems to show a crescent-shaped anterior dorsal plate, separated by a narrow suture, as in a typical Lunaceps . On the other hand, the POS is positioned posterior to the eye, not on it as in Lunaceps and there is a pair of structures that bend medially from the site of the lateral nodi that is unlike anything in Lunaceps . The significance of any of these characters is difficult to assess from Eichler’s drawing.

The second drawing, of the male genitalia, is more straightforward, as it is dissimilar to those found in Lunaceps , but almost identical to Timmermann’s (1954b) drawings of the genitalia of Q. hoplopteri incai . The lower endomere, present in all Lunaceps , is missing in both Eichler’s and Timmermann’s drawings, and although the parameres are shorter and blunter in Eichler’s drawings than in Timmermann’s, the shape of the mesomere with its contorted form is more or less identical, as is the shape of the basal apodeme.

The matter is made clear in the type material and the series located at PIPeR, all of which are specimens of a Quadraceps ( Fig. 30). Some preliminary studies at the NHML have shown that their Q. hoplopteri incai specimens are virtually identical to the Lunaceps parabolicus material studied. It is also dissimilar to that of other South American lapwings, precluding the possibility of contamination. We therefore conclude that Lunaceps parabolicus Eichler, 1953 , is identical to Quadraceps hoplopteri incai Timmermann, 1954b , which would make them synonyms, with Eichler’s name having priority. Price et al. (2003) listed Q. incai as a full species, and this species should now be known as Quadraceps parabolicus ( Eichler, 1953) .

Etymology: para = beyond, beside, and bole = a throw. It is unclear from Eichler’s (1953) short description and drawings exactly what this refers to, but may refer to the parameres, which have a somewhat parabolic shape.

Material examined:

Note on Eichler’s type series. In his description, Eichler (1953) states that the holotype is slide 3896b and the allotype is slide 3896c. No other slides are mentioned in the description. This does not correspond to the labels on the slides. Slide 3698b and 3698c are both labelled “Paratypoid”, whereas slide 3698e is labelled “Allotypoid”. Slide 3698d has been labelled before, but the label has fallen off, and only the glue outline remains. Handwritten on this slide is “ Holotypus ??”. We here assume that the text of the description has precedence, and that specimen 3896b is the holotype, despite what it says on the slide. As specimen 3896c is also a male, this cannot be an allotype, and is here referred to as a paratype. The other three slides are here referred to as non-types, as they are not mentioned in the original description.

Ex Vanellus resplendens (synonym: Ptiloscelys splendens ):

Holotype: ♂ 1, [Collection data not given on slide], 3896b ( MFN).

Paratype: ♂ 1, [Collection data not given on slide], 3896c ( MFN).

Non-type material: ♂ 3, [Collection data not given in slide], 3896a, d, e ( MFN) . ♀ 6, ♂ 6, Ecuador: Cotopaxi Province: 24 km W of Latacuya: Near Signiquingre , RC-712 (PIPeR) .

These specimens was compared with material from the following species to ascertain what Lunaceps parabolicus is:

Quadraceps hoplopteri ex Vanellus spinosus (synonym: Hoplopterus spinosus )

♀ 12, ♂ 12, Uganda: Toro : Kaganya, 28 April 1944, Hopkins Collection BM1958-686 ( NHML) .

Quadraceps hoplopteri incai ex Vanellus resplendens (synonyms: Ptiloscelus splendens or Ptilocelys [sic!] resplendens )

Holotype: ♂ 1, Peru: Sta. Lucia, 24 April 1931, 2706, BM1954-596 ( NHML).

Allotype: ♀ 1, Peru: Sta. Lucia, 24 April 1931, 2706, BM1954-596 ( NHML). ♀ 2, ♂ 2, Peru: Jauja Province : Paca Pond, 2 June 1969, BM1975-308 ( NHML).

Quadraceps hoplopteri guimaraesi ex Vanellus chilensis lampronotus (synonym: Belanopterus chilensis lampronotus)

Holotype: ♂ 1, Brazil: Pará : Fóy do Gurana [?], 2 December 1936, BM-1954-596 ( NHML).

Allotype: ♀ 1, Brazil: Pará : Fóy do Gurana [?], 2 December 1936, BM-1954-596 ( NHML).

Quadraceps hasei ex Vanellus cayanus (synonym: Hoploscypterus cayanus )

Holotype: ♂ 1, Brazil: Mato Grossoa: Rio Parana, 10 November 1939, BM1954-596 ( NHML).