Philopterus trabecula ( Piaget, 1880 )

Sychra, Oldrich, Palma, Ricardo L., Saxena, Arun K., Ahmad, Aftab, Bansal, Nayanci & Adam, Costică, 2011, Chewing lice of the genus Philopterus (Phthiraptera: Philopteridae) from drongos (Passeriformes: Dicruridae), Zootaxa 2868, pp. 51-61 : 52-53

Philopterus trabecula ( Piaget, 1880)

( Figs. 5–7 , 15–20 , 33 )

Docophorus trabecula Piaget, 1880: 662 , pl. 54, fig. 4.

Philopterus trabecula ( Piaget, 1880) ; Hopkins & Clay, 1952: 288.

Type host: Dicrurus remifer (Temminck) (as Dicrurus “ retifer ”) —Lesser racket-tailed drongo.

Male (n = 1). Like P. kalkalichi except as follows. Head: Coni short (about 0.05) and curved upwards ( Figs. 16–18 ). Dorsal anterior head plate as in Fig. 19 ; ventral anterior head plate narrow. Anterior seta 3 stout and relatively long. Anterior seta 1 (preconal seta of Price & Hellenthal 1998) short 0.02–0.03 in length. Postconal seta very short not> 0.01. Dorsal submarginal seta short, only 0.04–0.05 long ( Fig. 15 ). Thorax: Pterothorax with 17 posterior setae. Abdomen: Abdominal chaetotaxy: tergal setae (including only tergo-lateral setae (!), tergo-central setae not visible): II, 10 (plus anterior pair); III, 6; IV, 9; V, 8; VI, 7; VII, 8; VIII, 6; IX, 2; sternal setae: II, not visible; III, 7; IV, at least 6; V, 9; VI, 8; subgenital plate as in Fig 5 with 4 long setae; pleural (paratergal) setae: II–III, 0; IV–V, 4; VI–VII, 5; VIII, 3; IX, 1. Lateral sternites on III–VI 0.03–0.04 wide ( Fig. 5 ). Genitalia ( Figs 6–7 ) with short, stout parameres fused with the basal plate; endomeral plate simple with pointed posterior margin, mesomere with two rounded projection posteriorly overlapping posterior margin of endomeral plate.

Dimensions: FW, 0.20; FHMW, 0.23; HMI, 1.15; PAW, 0.29; TW, 0.42; HL, 0.47; PAL, 0.24; LHCL, 0.09; DAPL, 0.23; DAPW, 0.13; PW, 0.27; MW, 0.38; AWV, 0.54; TL, 1.36; GL, 0.23; GW, 0.08.

Female (n = 3). Most features as in male. Pterothorax with 18–19 posterior setae. Abdominal chaetotaxy: tergal setae: II, 11–14 (plus anterior pair); III, 11–12; IV, 13–14; V, 13–15; VI, 11–13; VII, 12; VIII, 10; IX, 2; sternal setae: II, 4–5; III, 5–7; IV, 8–10; V, 6–8; VI, 8–9; subgenital plate as in Fig. 20 with 4 long setae; vulva with 14 medium long and 5 short setae.

Dimensions (measurements of the lectotype of P. trabecula are in parentheses): FW, 0.21–0.22 (0.23); FHMW, 0.25 (0.26); HMI, 1.14–1.19 (1.13); PAW, 0.29–0.30 (0.33); TW, 0.42–0.43 (0.50); HL, 0.50–0.51 (0.51); PAL, 0.26–0.28 (0.28); LHCL, 0.09 (0.11); DAPL, 0.24–0.27 (0.28); DAPW, 0.12–0.13 (0.14); PW, 0.27 (0.31); MW, 0.38–0.39 (0.44); AWV, 0.53–0.54 (0.59); SGPW, 0.30 (0.32); TL, 1.36–1.41 (1.38).

Material examined. 1 female syntype of P. trabecula ex Dicrurus remifer (Piaget’s Collection number 625) deposited in NHML and designated as the lectotype below; 1 male and 2 nymphs ex Dicrurus remifer , THAI- LAND: Chanthaburi, Khao Soi Dao Tai, 4800 m, 28.II.1966, S. King leg. (number MAPS 3913) deposited in KCEM; 2 females, from the same host species and locality, except 2500 m, 22.III.1966 (numbers MAPS 4638 and 4645) deposited in KCEM; 1 female syntype of P. trabecula ex Artamella viridis (Statius Müller) (Piaget’s Collection number 626) deposited in NHML.

Remarks. Piaget’s (1880: 662) gave the following measurements: TW, 0.44; HL, 0.46; MW, 0.37; AWV, 0.46; TL, 1.19. We believe the discrepancies with our measurements are due to different measuring techniques.

The two female syntypes of P. trabecula belong to different species. The specimen from Dicrurus remifer has short dorsal submarginal setae (about 0.05), while the specimen from Artamella viridis has long dorsal submarginal setae (about 0.18). The determination of this latter specimen is also queried on the label ( Thompson 1938: 611).

Therefore, to settle the identity of this species of Philopterus , we hereby designate the female from Dicrurus remifer , on Piaget Collection slide 625, as the lectotype of Philopterus trabecula ( Fig. 33 ). The other female from Artamella viridis , on Piaget Collection slide 626, becomes a misidentified paralectotype. The two females from the KCEM are consistent with the lectotype, especially in the length of the dorsal submarginal seta.

Philopterus trabecula is readily distinguished by its short dorsal submarginal setae (only 0.04–0.05 long), and by the male genitalia having an endomeral plate simple with pointed posterior margin, and a mesomere with two rounded distal projections overlapping with the posterior margin of the endomeral plate ( Figs. 6–7 ).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 10. 1 – 4: Philopterus kalkalichi: 1 — male, dorso-ventral view; 2 — male sternite VI and subgenital plate; 3 — male genitalia; 4 — detail of distal male genitalia. 5 – 7: Philopterus trabecula: 5 — male sternite VI and subgenital plate; 6 — male genitalia; 7 — detail of distal male genitalia. 8 – 10: Philopterus crassipes: 8 — male sternite VI and subgenital plate; 9 — male genitalia; 10 — detail of distal male genitalia. Scales 0.50 mm (Fig. 1), 0.10 mm (Figs. 2 – 3, 5 – 6, 8 – 9), 0.05 mm (Figs. 4, 7, 10).

FIGURES 11 – 22. 11 – 14: Philopterus kalkalichi: 11 — female head, dorso-ventral view; 12 — conus; 13 — female subgenital plate; 14 — dorsal anterior head plate. 15 – 20: Philopterus trabecula: 15 — female head, dorso-ventral view; 16 — conus (female, slide 4638); 17 — conus (male, slide 3913); 18 — conus (female, slide 4645); 19 — dorsal anterior head plate; 20 — female subgenital plate. 21 – 22: Philopterus crassipes: 21 — conus; 22 — dorsal anterior head plate. Scales 0.50 mm (Fig. 11, 15), 0.10 mm (Figs. 13 – 14, 19 – 20, 22), 0.05 mm (Figs. 12, 16 – 18, 21).

FIGURES 33 – 34. 33 — female lectotype of Philopterus trabecula; 34 — male holotype of Philopterus petrescuae.