Reticulipeurus (Forcipurellus) bracatus, Gustafsson & Zou, 2023

Gustafsson, Daniel R. & Zou, Fasheng, 2023, Species of Reticulipeurus Kéler, 1958 (Phthiraptera, Ischnocera, Oxylipeurus- complex) parasitic on species of Arborophila, with description of a new subgenus and three new species, Zootaxa 5284 (3), pp. 496-520 : 503-504

Reticulipeurus (Forcipurellus) bracatus new species

( Figs 17–23 , 40 )

Type host. Arborophila atrogularis (Blyth, 1849) —white-cheeked partridge.

Type locality. Myanmar .

Diagnosis. Reticulipeurus (Forcipurellus) bracatus is most similar to R. (F.) formosanus , with which it shares the following characters: frons broadly rounded ( Figs 3 , 19 ); male scape not modified except length and width compared from female ( Figs 3–4 , 19–20 ); ventral sclerite of mesosome of similar shape ( Figs 6 , 22 ); male stylus short, spatulate and distal margin of male abdomen shallowly concave ( Figs 40, 42 ). However, these two species can be separated by the following characters: male flagellomere I expanded distally in R. (F.) formosanus ( Fig. 3 ), but not in R. (F.) bracatus ( Fig. 19 ); male mesosome proportionately larger and with coarser rugosity in R. (F.) formosanus ( Fig. 6 ) than in R. (F.) bracatus ( Fig. 22 ); lateral ends of ventral sclerite of male mesosome of different shape ( Figs 6 , 22 ); basal apodeme proportionately longer in R. (F.) bracatus ( Fig. 21 ) than in R. (F.) formosanus (Fig, 5); lateral lobes of female vulval margin generally with more vms in R. (F.) bracatus (19–22; Fig. 23 ) than in R. (F.) formosanus (15–20; Fig. 8 ), but there is some overlap between species in this character, and females may be best separated by the shape of the lateral lobes and claspers ( Figs 8 , 23 ), as well as by head shape ( Figs 2 , 18 ).

Description. Preantennal head broadly rounded ( Fig. 19 ). Male scape longer than female ( Fig. 20 ), slightly wider but otherwise not modified; male flagellomere I without distal extension. Head chaetotaxy as in Fig. 19 . Lateral margins of temples rounded in male. Thoracic and abdominal segments and chaetotaxy as in Figs 17–18 . Holotype male with pterothoracic chaetotaxy aberrant: left side with only 2 mms macrosetae on posterior margin, but right side with 4 mms macrosetae; we have here illustrated 4 setae; as these are broken in holotype, they are here illustrated tentatively based on comparisons with other species in the group. Paratype female with abdominal segment III aberrant on one side: much reduced in length, distal margin displaced proximally in lateral section, and spiracle opening absent. Female leg II broken off at femur on both sides, and not illustrated. Distal abdomen of male as in Fig. 40 ; sternal plate VII apparently separate from to subgenital plate; stylus short, spatulate; distal margin of segment XI distinctly concave, lateral corners not extended distally. Male genitalia as in Figs 21–22 . Distal rugosity of mesosome fine, limited to near margin. Ventral sclerite with flat anterior margin and two visible gpmes on each side. Gonopore approaches distal margin of mesosome. Parameres broken in single examined male, and not illustrated. Female sternal plate VII without median bulge on distal margin ( Fig. 23 ). Median bulge of vulval margin moderate, with 3–5 vss on each side; lateral lobes with 19–22 long, slender vms on each side. Lateral margin of claspers with 7–8 lateral setae on each side. Measurements as in Table 1 .

Type material examined. Holotype 1♁, Burma [= Myanmar], no date, coll. R. Meinertzhagen , 13341, NHMUK010682695 ( NHML) . Paratype 1♀, same data as holotype ( NHML) .

Etymology. The species epithet is derived from “ bracatus ”, Latin for “wearing trousers”. This refers to the reticulation patterns of femurs II and III, which can be clearly seen in this species, more than in the other species treated here.

Figures

FIGURES 17–18. Reticulipeurus (Forcipurellus) bracatus new species. 17, male habitus, dorsal and ventral views. 18, female habitus, dorsal and ventral views.

FIGURES 19–23. Reticulipeurus (Forcipurellus) bracatus new species. 19, male head, dorsal and ventral view. 20, female antenna, ventral view. 21, male genitalia, dorsal view. 22, male genitalia, ventral view. 23, female subgenital plate, vulval margin, and terminalia, ventral view.

FIGURES 40–44. Distal ends of male abdomens, dorsal and ventral views. 40, Reticulipeurus (Forcipurellus) bracatus new species. 41, Reticulipeurus (Forcipurellus) diki new species. 42, Reticulipeurus (Forcipurellus) formosanus (Uchida, 1917). 43, Reticulipeurus (Forcipurellus) longistylus new species. 44, Reticulipeurus (Forcipurellus) nitzschi Kéler, 1958. All drawings are to the same scale.

FIGURES 3–8. Reticulipeurus (Forcipurellus) formosanus (Uchida, 1917). 3, male head, dorsal and ventral view. 4, female antenna, ventral view. 5, male genitalia, dorsal view. 6, male genitalia, ventral view. 7, male paramere, dorsal view. 8, female subgenital plate, vulval margin, and terminalia, ventral view.

FIGURES 1–2. Reticulipeurus (Forcipurellus) formosanus (Uchida, 1917). 1, male habitus, dorsal and ventral views. 2, female habitus, dorsal and ventral views.