Rallicola (Rallicola) tibetana, Gustafsson & Tian & Zou, 2021

Gustafsson, Daniel R., Tian, Chunpo & Zou, Fasheng, 2021, New species of ischnoceran chewing lice (Phthiraptera: Philopteridae) from Chinese birds, Zootaxa 4990 (2), pp. 305-328 : 317-321

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4990.2.6

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:641F7696-2DD6-4FF9-8758-9E5E3EFB201B

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5091923

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/039D8447-FFB7-787E-FF40-FA58FEEFFC8E

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Rallicola (Rallicola) tibetana
status

sp. nov.

Rallicola (Rallicola) tibetana new species

( Figs 16–23 View FIGURES 16–17 View FIGURES 18–23 )

Type host: Zapornia bicolor Walden, 1872 —black-tailed crake ( Rallidae ).

Type locality: Pachakshiri, S.E. Tibet, China .

Diagnosis. In the key of Emerson (1955), Rallicola (Rallicola) tibetana new species keys out to Rallicola (R.) ferrisi Emerson, 1955 , but the male genitalia of R. (R.) tibetana are most similar to those of Rallicola (R.) funebris (Nitzsch [in Giebel], 1866). Rallicola (R.) tibetana can be separated from both these species by the following characters: female tergopleurites III–VIII transversally continuous in R. (R.) tibetana ( Fig. 17 View FIGURES 16–17 ), but medianly interrupted in the other two species; male subgenital plate of R. (R.) tibetana extended distally into a stylus ( Fig. 16 View FIGURES 16–17 ), but no stylus in either of the other two species.

Furthermore, Rallicola (R.) tibetana can be separated from R. (R.) ferrisi by the following characters: hyaline margin extending more posteriorly along the lateral margin of head in R. (R.) tibetana ( Fig. 18 View FIGURES 18–23 ) than in R. (R.) ferrisi ; mesosome of R. (R.) tibetana narrowing distally as in Figs 20, 22 View FIGURES 18–23 , whereas in R. (R.) ferrisi the mesosome widens distally, with a deeply incised distal margin and no marginal thickenings [this character is illustrated erroneously by Emerson (1955)]; parameres of R. (R.) tibetana stout and curved medianly ( Fig. 21 View FIGURES 18–23 ), but slender and curved laterally in distal third in R. (R.) ferrisi ; vulval margin strongly arched and female subgenital plate with deep sublateral incisions on distal margin in R. (R.) ferrisi , but vulval margin more flattened and subgenital plate without such incisions in R. (R.) tibetana ( Fig. 23 View FIGURES 18–23 ). Emerson (1955) stated that the female of R. (R.) ferrisi has only two stout setae on each post-vulval tubercle, but all specimens of this species we have examined, including two paratypes, have three setae on the tubercles on each side. However, we have not examined the allotype female of R. (R.) ferrisi . By contrast, all specimens of R. (R.) tibetana have two stout setae on the tubercles ( Fig. 23 View FIGURES 18–23 ).

In addition, Rallicola (R.) tibetana can be separated from R. (R.) funebris (see Pessoa & Guimarães 1935; Emerson 1955 for illustrations) by the following characters: distal mesosome gently rounded in R. (R.) tibetana ( Fig. 22 View FIGURES 18–23 ), but with median extension in R. (R.) funebris ; parameres with pointed distal ends and curved overall shape in R. (R.) tibetana ( Fig. 21 View FIGURES 18–23 ), but with bluntly flattened distal ends and subparallel overall shape in R. (R.) funebris ; male tergopleurites III–VIII transversally continuous in R. (R.) tibetana ( Figs 16–17 View FIGURES 16–17 ), but interrupted medianly in R. (R.) funebris ; shape of frons and hyaline margin also appears to differ between these two species, based on the illustration of Pessoa & Guimarães (1935). However, photos of R. (R.) funebris available at the NHMUK homepage (https://data.nhm.ac.uk/dataset) suggest that the hyaline margin of R. (R.) funebris is more similar to that of R. (R.) tibetana , and may have been shrunken or overlooked in the specimens examined by Pessoa & Guimarães (1935).

Description. Both sexes. Head trapezoidal, with preantennal section much narrower than postantennal section ( Fig. 18 View FIGURES 18–23 ); frons with elongated hyaline margin that extends along the lateral head margins to near aperture of as1. Dorsal anterior plate longer than wide, with rounded posterior margin. Head chaetotaxy as in Fig. 18 View FIGURES 18–23 ; s 1–6 View FIGURES 1–2 View FIGURES 3–6 present; s1 and os mesosetae. Antennae sexually dimorphic. Thoracic and abdominal segments and chaetotaxy as in Figs 16–17 View FIGURES 16–17 ; tergopleurite II divided medianly and tergopleurites III–VIII transversally continuous in both sexes. Measurements as in Table 1 View TABLE 1 .

Male. Antennae as in Fig. 18 View FIGURES 18–23 , with scape and pedicel swollen compared to female, and flagellomere I with distinct distal expansion into hook; antennae illustrated as seen in holotype. Tergopleurite III without anterior incision ( Fig. 16 View FIGURES 16–17 ). Subgenital plate extended distally along midline to form short stylus similar to those found in some Oxylipeurus -complex genera (see Gustafsson et al. 2020); one short seta on each side of stylus near distal end. Basal apodeme rounded, trapezoidal, narrowing distally ( Fig. 20 View FIGURES 18–23 ); articulation between basal apodeme and parameral head as in Fig. 21 View FIGURES 18–23 . Mesosome as in Figs 20, 22 View FIGURES 18–23 ; proximal mesosome bilobed, distal end gently rounded and narrowed. Gonopore dorsal, with U-shaped thickening along distal margin; distinct subparallel dorsal thickenings proximal to gonopore. Paramere overall arched, with distal ends convergent and pointed; no subsidiary median extension of paramere; pst1–2 as in Fig. 21 View FIGURES 18–23 .

Female. Antennae as in Fig. 19 View FIGURES 18–23 . Tergopleurite III with deep, narrow incision of anterior margin at midline ( Fig. 17 View FIGURES 16–17 ). Subgenital plate as in Fig. 23 View FIGURES 18–23 , without sublateral incisions of distal margin. Vulval margin flattened, with 8–12 short, slender vms and 9–11 short, stout vss on each side; 6–8 short, slender vos on each side of subgenital plate. Vulval margin with sclerotized plate throughout.

Etymology: The species epithet is derived from the type locality.

Type material. Ex Zapornia bicolor : Holotype ♂, Pachakshiri, S.E. Tibet [ China], 6 May 1938, no collector, Brit. Mus. 1946-287, NHMUK010690305 About NHMUK ( NHMUK). Paratypes. 4♀, same data as holotype, NHMUK010690304– 6 About NHMUK ( NHMUK) .

Remarks. Slide NHMUK010690306 also contains a male louse that appears to be close to Rallicola (R.) clayae Tandan, 1951 .

NHMUK

Natural History Museum, London

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Phthiraptera

Family

Philopteridae

Genus

Rallicola

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