Picophilopterus blythipici, Gustafsson & Adam & Zou, 2022

Gustafsson, Daniel R., Adam, Costică & Zou, Fasheng, 2022, One new genus and three new species of the Penenirmus-complex (Phthiraptera Ischnocera) from China, with resurrection of Picophilopterus Ansari, 1947, Zootaxa 5087 (3), pp. 401-426 : 406

Picophilopterus blythipici new species

( Figs. 1–3 , 5–6, 9 )

Type host. Blythipicus pyrrhotis sinensis (Rickett, 1897) —bay woodpecker ( Picidae ).

Type locality. Nanling Reservation , Ruyang County, Guangdong Province, China .

Diagnosis. Picophilopterus blythipici is morphologically close to P. pici and P. auritus . However, it can be separated from P. pici by the following characters: temples broader and more rounded, preantennal area more elongated and with more concave lateral margins in P. blythipici ( Fig. 3 ) than in P. pici ( Fig. 4 ); ventral horns of male endomere slender and clearly divided medianly into one horn on each side in P. blythipici ( Fig. 6 ), but broader and joined distally to form a plate-like structure in P. pici ( Fig. 8 ); proximal endomere proportionately longer and broader in P. blythipici ( Fig. 6 ) than in P. pici ( Fig. 8 ); male tergopleurites IV–VI each with two tergocentral setae on each side in P. blythipici ( Fig. 1 ), but with three tergocentral setae on each side in P. pici .

Picophilopterus blythipici can be separated from P. auritus by the following characters: preantennal area more elongated and slender in P. blythipici ( Fig. 3 ) than in P. auritus ; male tergopleurite II medianly continuous in P. auritus , but medianly interrupted in P. blythipici ( Fig. 1 ); male tergopleurite VII with two tergocentral setae on each side in P. blythipici ( Fig. 1 ), but with one tergocentral seta on each side in P. auritus ; female tergopleurite IX+X with one seta on each side in P. blythipici ( Fig. 2 ), but with three setae on each side in P. auritus ; horn-like projections of male mesosome positioned more anteriorly in P. blythipici than in P. auritus .

Description. Both sexes. Head rounded, trapezoidal ( Fig. 3 ), preantennal area slender with shallow concave lateral margins and deeply concave frons. Marginal carina broad. Dorsal anterior plate longer than wide. Dorsal preantennal suture extended posteriorly along midline posterior to dorsal anterior plate. Preantennal nodi large. Head chaetotaxy as in Fig. 3 . Gular plate with extensive central rugose area. Thorax, abdomen and chaetotaxy as in Figs 1–2 .

Male. Tergopleurite IX+X sublaterally with 2–3 long setae clustered close together. Subgenital plate reaches distal margin of abdomen, but with distal end diffuse in some males examined. Genitalia as Figs 5–6 ; basal apodeme slender, widening considerably towards the distal end ( Fig. 5 ); endomere elongated, with dorsal and ventral horns clearly separated ( Fig. 6 ); chaetotaxy as in Figs 5–6 ; proximal end of endomere tapering and similar to that in P. pici sensu lato (fig. 8), but differs among specimens; distal end of endomere slender; parameres short and stout; pst1–2 as in Fig. 6 .

Female. Subgenital plate roughly rectangular, with medio-posterior margin bulging distally ( Fig. 9 ); central part of subgenital plate often with faint reticulation; area posterior to subgenital plate wrinkled. Vulval margin gently rounded, with vulval marginal plates present on each side, seemingly unconnected medianly, but in some specimens there are additional sclerotised areas between these plates (not illustrated). Five sets of setae associated with subgenital plate and vulval area: one macroseta on each side situated on subgenital plate; one macroseta on each side situated just posterior to subgenital plate; 6–7 short, slender setae scattered in area between subgenital plate and vulval marginal plates; 4–6 microsetae in convergent rows median to vulval marginal plates; 17–22 (one specimen with 12 on one side) long, slender setae along vulval margin (some may be submarginal).

Type material. Ex Blythipicus pyrrhotis sinensis : Holotype ♂, Nanling Reservation , elev. 1200–1225 m, Ruyang County, Guangdong Province, China, 23 Nov. 2012, Nanling Bird Research Team, bird J0150, GD-PHTH- 00123 ( IZGAS). Paratypes: 5♂, 1♀, same data as holotype, GD-PHTH-00124–00136 ( IZGAS) .

Non-types: 2 nymphs, same data as holotype, GD-PHTH-00137–00138 ( IZGAS).

Etymology. The species epithet is derived from the generic name of the host.

Remarks. Dalgleish (1972) included specimens from Blythipicus pyrrhotis pyrrhotis (Hodgson, 1837) from Nepal in Penenirmus pici ( Fabricius, 1798) but, using Dalgleish’s (1972) key, our specimens key out to Penenirmus auritus based on abdominal chaetotaxy. Using the key in Emerson & Johnson (1961), our specimens key out to couplet 4, but do not fit either alternative due to differences in female chaetotaxy, and males cannot be accurately identified in this key. As neither Emerson & Johnson (1961) nor Dalgleish (1972) illustrated or described the male genitalia in detail, our comparisons were made with specimens we studied and identified as Picophilopterus pici sensu lato from Picus canus sordidior (see below). Comparisons with P. auritus are based on the redescription of this species by Clay & Hopkins (1960), based on the neotype.

Figures

FIGURES 1–2. Picophilopterus blythipici n. sp. 1, male habitus, dorsal and ventral views 1a, ventral view distal leg I. 1b, ventral view of distal leg II. 1c, ventral view of distal leg III. 2, female habitus, dorsal and ventral views.Abbreviations: hs—hyaline seta (white); sts—sternal setae.

FIGURES 3–4. Male head, dorsal and ventral views. 3, Picophilopterus blythipici n. sp. 4, Picophilopterus pici (Fabricius, 1798) sensu lato ex Picus canus sordidior. Abbreviations: ads—anterior dorsal seta; as1–3—anterior setae 1–3; avs3—anterior ventral seta 3; mts1–3—marginal temporal setae 1–3; pns—postnodal seta; s3–4—sensilla 3–4.

FIGURES 5–9. Genitalia. 5, male Picophilopterus blythipici n. sp., dorsal view. 6, male Picophilopterus blythipici n. sp., ventral view. 7, male Picophilopterus pici (Fabricius, 1798) sensu lato ex Picus canus sordidior, dorsal view. 8, male Picophilopterus pici (Fabricius, 1798) sensu lato ex Picus canus sordidior, ventral view. 9, female subgenital plate and vulval margin, Picophilopterus blythipici n. sp., ventral view. Abbreviations: pst1–2—parameral setae 1–2; VH—ventral horns of endomere.