Menacanthus bonariensis, Cicchino, Armando C., 2003

Cicchino, Armando C., 2003, Menacanthus bonariensis new species (Phthiraptera: Menoponidae), parasitic on the White­bellied Sparrow, Zonotrichia capensis hypoleuca (Todd, 1915) (Aves: Passeriformes: Fringillidae) in, Zootaxa 358, pp. 1-11 : 2-9

Menacanthus bonariensis , new species

( Figs. 1–27 )

Female: habitus as in figure 1. Length of ventral spinous processes 0.104–0.108 (0.107 ± 0.002) (fig. 2). Ocular seta 19 slender, 0.032–0.043 long. Gular plate lightly pigmented, in one specimen showing insinuation of two “holes” located near the center, and bearing 4+4 setae. Pronotum with 16–17 posterior setae. Metanotum with 4–5 lateroanterior setae each side, and 17–18 posterior setae. Prosternum with 1–2 setae, mesosternum with 14–16 and metasternum with 12–14. Tergal setae: I 25–26, II 25– 27, III 28–31, IV 28–33, V 31–53, VI 31–34, VII 29– 30, VIII 21–23. Anterior setae of the pleurites: I–II 0, III 1–3, IV–V 3–5, VI 4, VII 2–4, VIII 0. Sternal setae: I 2–3, II 36 –37, III 67 –71, IV 69 –72, V 68 –72, VI 60 – 65, VII 46 –59. Subgenital plate with 46–59 setae, and with medioposterior strong serrations. Each anal fringe with 53–54 setae. Body measurements: HL 0.287–0.300 (0.296 ± 0.008), POW 0.505–0.517 (0.511 ± 0.006), OW 0.625–0.642 (0.632 ± 0.009), PL 0.175– 0.217 (0.195 ± 0.021), PW 0.462–0.475 (0.468 ± 0.007), PTW 0.600–0.625 (0.617 ± 0.014), AL 1.200–1.275 (1.233 ± 0.038), AW 0.912–0.937 (0.925 ± 0.013), TL 1.875– 1.987 (1.921 ± 0.059).

Male: habitus as in figure 7. Length of ventral spinous processes 0.084–0.096 (0.089 ± 0.005), with 3­4+3­4 setae (figs 3, 17). Ocular seta 19: 0.025–0.028 (0.027 ± 0.002) long. Pronotum with 16–17 posterior setae. Metanotum with 4 lateroanterior setae each side, and 16–17 posterior ones. Prosternum with 1–2 setae, mesosternum with 13–15 and metasternum with 11–13 (fig. 17). Tergal setae: I 16–19, II 19– 22, III 23–24, IV 26, V 26–31, VI 25– 27, VII 23–27, VIII 16–17. Anterior setae on pleurites: I–II 0, III 1–3, IV 3, V 2–4, VI– VII 1–2, VIII 0. Sternal setae: I 2–3, II 29–35, III 47 –54, IV 53 –61, V 48 –50, VI 45 –49, VII 30–38, VIII 13–16. Subgenital plate with 19–21 setae. Genitalia (fig. 8) with apical portion of parameres abruptly curved outwardly and endomeral plate with a noticeable subapical constriction. Genital sac and “penis” as shown in figure 9. Body measurements: HL 0.267–0.287 (0.276 ± 0.010), POW 0.437–0.462 (0.451 ± 0.013), OW 0.562–0.580 (0.569 ± 0.009), PL 0.180–0.187 (0.185 ± 0.004), PW 0.387–0.405 (0.393 ± 0.010), PTW 0.487–0.500 (0.493 ± 0.006), AL 0.812–0.925 (0.862 ± 0.058), AW 0.630–0.662 (0.645 ± 0.016), GL 0.468–0.475 (0.472 ± 0.005), GW 0.100, TL 1.400–1.500 (1.458 ± 0.052).

Third nymphal instar: habitus as in figure 10. Cephalic setae 14, 15 and 16 and sensillum c as in figure 14. Length of ventral spinous processes 0.070–0.072 (0.071 ± 0.001) (figs 4, 18). Gular plate with 3+3 setae (fig. 18). Prosternum with one seta, mesosternum with 11–12 and metasternum with 11 setae (fig. 18). Pronotum with 16 posterior setae. Metanotum with 3–4 anterolateral setae each side, and 15–17 posterior setae. Tergal setae: I 14, II–III 16– 19, IV 17–18, V 18–19, VI 20, VII 15–18, VIII 12. Pleurites with 1–2 anterior setae. Sternal setae: I 1–2, II 21, III 29–33, IV–V 36 –37, VI 32 –33, VII 37–28, VIII 14. Subgenital plate with 4 setae. Measurements: HL 0.267–0.275 (0.272 ± 0.005), POW 0.437–0.442 (0.439 ± 0.003), OW 0.537–0.550 (0.541 ± 0.008), PL 0.175, PW 0.375– 0.392 (0.382 ± 0.009), PTW 0.475–0.492 (0.481 ± 0.010), AL 0.800–0.837 (0.814 ± 0.020), AW 0.600–0.637 (0.622 ± 0,020), TL 1.362–1.425 (1.391 ± 0.0032).

Second nymphal instar: habitus as in figure 11. Length of ventral spinous processes 0,0 48–0,0 54 (0.051 ± 0.002) (figs 5, 19). Gular plate with 2+2 setae, exceptionally 2+1 setae (fig. 19). Ocular seta 19: 0.020–0.024 (0.023 ± 0.002) long. Cephalic setae 14, 15 and 16 and sensillum c much as for nymph III (fig. 15). Prosternum with one seta, mesosternum with 3–8 and metasternum with 9–11. Pronotum with 16–17 posterior setae. Metanotum with 2–3 anterolateral setae each side, and 10 posterior setae. Tergal setae: I 8–9, II–IV 9–10, V–VII 10, VIII 5–7. No anterior setae on pleurites III–VII. Sternal setae: I 2, II 13–14, III 12– 15, IV 12–16, V 14–15, VI 12– 14, VII 10–11, VIII 5–7. Subgenital plate with 4 setae. Measurements: HL 0.225–0.250 (0.240 ± 0.011), POW 0.367–0.375 (0.373 ± 0.004), OW 0.425–0.450 (0.437 ± 0.010), PL 0.137–0.162 (0.151 ± 0.011), PW 0.287– 0.325 (0.307 ± 0.016), PTW 0.362–0.405 (0.372 ± 0.027), AL 0.587–0.630 (0.605 ± 0.020), AW 0.442–0.512 (0.470 ± 0.031), TL 1.075–1.167 (1.112 ± 0.038).

First nymphal instar: habitus as in figure 12. Length of ventral spinous processes 0.036–0.040 (0.038 ± 0.002) (figs 6, 20). Gular plate lacking setae (fig. 20). Ocular seta 19: 0.020–0.024 (0.023 ± 0.002) long. Seta 16 lacking and sensillum c not seen in the available specimens (fig. 16). Prosternum without setae, mesosternum and metasternum with 2. Pronotum with 10 posterior setae. Metanotum with 2–3 lateroanterior setae each side, and 9–10 posterior setae. Tergal setae: I–II 8, III 7, IV 8, V 7–8, VI–VII 8, VIII 6. No anterior setae on pleurites III–VII. Sternal setae: I 3–4, II 6–7, III–V 6, VI–VIII 4. Measurements: HL 0.212–0.225 (0.216 ± 0.008), POW 0.292–0.305 (0.301 ± 0.008), OW 0.362–0.367 (0.365 ± 0.003), PL 0.112–0.137 (0.122 ± 0.013), PW 0.242–0.262 (0.249 ± 0.012), PTW 0.280–0.325 (0.314 ± 0.030), AL 0.462–0.517 (0.497 ± 0.030), AW 0.305– 0.425 (0.372 ± 0.061), TL 0.875–0.962 (0.921 ± 0.044).

Egg: elongated (fig. 21). Amphoral surface smooth. Operculum lacking sculpturing, with a row of 13 irregularly spaced air chambers (figs. 22–24), and with an apical long phanerum composed of ca. 9 strands, much as those described by Hohorst (1939) for M. stramineus (Nitzsch, 1818) . Measurements: total length, phanerum excluded, 0.765–0.808 (0.805 ± 0.052), maximum width of the amphora 0.232–0.268 (0.247 ± 0.015), maximum length of the apical phanerum 0.293–0.390 (0.358 ± 0.056). Hatching organ of the embryo composed by an apical set of 7–9 lancets of different lengths, an irregular medial row of 7– 8 lancets progressively longer, and a caudal set with a strong central tooth surrounded by ca. 7–8 small tubercles (figs. 25–27). Sites of oviposition: eggs are glued to the basal half of the lower barbs of the feather vanes by means of a moderate amount of spumaline (fig. 21), 1–10 per feather. In moderate infestations and in the absence of Philopterus n. sp. (see below) which appears to lay eggs in similar sites, Menacanthus eggs are laid on feathers of pteryla of the throat, mandible, periauriculars, eyebrow and lateral margins of the crown (fig. 28). In heavier infestation, and even in the presence of Philopterus , Menacanthus eggs are laid on pteryla of the chin, throat, upper neck, periauricular and nuchal areas (fig. 29).

Remarks: M. bonariensis n. sp. is morphologically similar to M. robustus (Kellogg, 1896) (only females are known for this species), but can be readily separated by the following combination of characters: most body measurements larger (over all POW, TW and TL), ocular seta 19 and ventral spinous processes longer, tendency to a greater number of setae on tergites IV–VIII and sternites III–VI, and subgenital plate with fewer setae. Menacanthus bonariensis forms a compact group with other 12 species: M. eurysternus (Burmeister, 1838) , M. merisuoi Eichler, 1953 , M. agilis (Nitzsch in Giebel, 1866), M. geothlypis Price 1977 , M. dendroicae Price 1977 , M. curuccae (Schrank, 1776) , M. takayamai Uchida, 1926 , M. aurocapillus Carriker, 1958 , M. orioli Blagoveshtchensky, 1951 , M. robustus (Kellogg, 1896) , M. tenuifrons Blagoveshtchensky, 1940 and M. sinuatus (Burmeister, 1838) . This group has been defined by Price (1977: 215) by having: 1. at least three lateroanterior setae each side of the metanotum; 2. pleurites either without anterior setae or with 1–3 anterior setae only along their medioventral margins; 3. female subgenital plate usually with strong serrations, less often with only a light spiculation, along its medioposterior margin; 4. male genitalia with apical portion of parameres abruptly curved outwardly and endomeral plate with subapical constriction. It is unfortunate that no eggs or nymphs were described for the species cited above, so that no comparison with those of M. bonariensis n. sp. can be made.

Etymology: the Latin word “ bonariensis ” refers to the Argentine province where the specimens have been collected: Buenos Aires.

Specimens examined: male holotype, 2 males and 4 females paratypes, 4 nymphs III, 4 nymphs II, 3 nymphs I and numerous eggs from Punta Piedras, Partido de Punta Indio, Buenos Aires Province, 6­X­1984, A.C. Cicchino coll.; numerous eggs from La Balandra, Partido de Berisso, Buenos Aires Province, 12­XII­1986, A. C. Cicchino coll.

Type host: the three host populations examined are currently assigned to Zonotrichia capensis hypoleuca (Todd, 1915) , widely distributed in Argentina from Jujuy and Salta Provinces in the north, to southern Buenos Aires (fig. 33). It must be noted that Todd (1920) described the race Z. c. argentina from specimens collected at Rio Santiago, Partido de Berisso, a coastal locality ca. 25 km north of La Balandra. Several years later Hellmayr (1938) listed this race as valid, but subsequently Chapman (1940) questioned its validity and included all populations from Buenos Aires Province in Z. c. hypoleuca . Bó (1972) discussed the status of Z. c. argentina and Z. c. hypoleuca maintaining the validity of the former and including under that race most of the populations from Buenos Aires Province (some of them only a few kilometers apart from the populations dealt with in this study). Subsequent bird lists (e.g. Olrog, 1979) returned to Chapman’s criterion, synonymyzing Z. c. argentina under Z. c. hypoleuca . Since this synonymy is still accepted as valid, I designate Z. c. hypoleuca as the type host for the new species M. bonariensis .

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Menacanthus bonariensis n. sp.: 1, female (dorsal and ventral); 2 – 6, ventral spinous processes of the head, drawn at same scale: 2, female; 3, male; 4, nymph III; 5, nymph II; 6, nymph I. Scale in micrometers (µm).

FIGURES 7 – 9. Menacanthus bonariensis n. sp., male: 7, habitus (dorsal and ventral); 8, genitalia (dorsal and ventral); 9, genital sac and “ penis ”, extruded. Scale in micrometers (µm).

FIGURES 10 – 16. Menacanthus bonariensis n. sp.: 10, 11, and 12 Nymphs III, II and I, respectively (dorsal and ventral, all at same scale); 13 – 16 cephalic setal complex and sensillum c: 13, male; 14, nymph III; 15, nymph II; 16, nymph I (all at same scale). Scale in micrometers (µm).

FIGURES 17 – 20. Menacanthus bonariensis n. sp., ventral spinous processes of the head, gular plate, pro, meso and metasternum: 17, male; 18, nymph III; 19, nymph II; 20, nymph I (at same scale). Scale in micrometers (µm).

FIGURES 21 – 27. Menacanthus bonariensis n. sp.: 21, whole egg glued to a lower barb of a gular feather (opercular phanerum broken off); 22, operculum; 23 – 24, views of operculi showing irregularly spaced air chambers; 25 – 27, hatching organ of the embryonary cuticle of three nearly mature embryos. Scale in micrometers (µm).