Philopterus trepostephanus, Gustafsson & Najer & Zou & Bush, 2022

Gustafsson, Daniel R., Najer, Tomas, Zou, Fasheng & Bush, Sarah E., 2022, New species of Philopterus Nitzsch, 1818 (Ischnocera: Philopteridae), with notes on Cypseloecus Conci, 1941, European Journal of Taxonomy 790 (1), pp. 1-52 : 23-24

Philopterus trepostephanus sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:BA72A2B0-545C-434F-8820-152AB279A3CA

Figs 25–30 ; Tables 2–5

Diagnosis

Apart from the similarity between Philopterus trepostephanus sp. nov. and P. sinensis sp. nov. outlined under the latter species (see above), P. trepostephanus sp. nov. does not appear to be morphologically close to any other known species of the genus. The species morphologically closest to P. trepostephanus sp. nov. may be P. petrescuae Adam in Sychra et al., 2011 (ex Dicrurus hottentottus (Linnaeus, 1766)). These two species share the following characters: hyaline margin extends lateral to as1 ( Fig. 27 ); ventral sclerite of male mesosome with lateral extensions ( Fig. 29 ); long vulval setae far anterior to the vulval margin ( Fig. 30 ); gonopore extensive, collar-shaped. These two species can be separated by the following characters: lateral extensions of ventral mesosomal sclerite in distal half in P. trepostephanus sp. nov. ( Fig. 29 ), but in proximal half in P. petrescuae , and the overall shape of this sclerite also differs between these species; coni with recurving anterior ‘hooks’ in P. petrescuae , but without such hooks in P. trepostephanus sp. nov. ( Fig. 27 ); central sternite absent on male abdominal segment VI in P. petrescuae , but present in P. trepostephanus sp. nov. ( Fig. 25 ); lateral lobes of hyaline margin more extensive in P. petrescuae than in P. trepostephanus sp. nov. ( Fig. 27 ); dorsal anterior plate (ignoring posterior extension) longer than wide in P. petrescuae , but about as wide as long in P. trepostephanus sp. nov. ( Fig. 27 ); macrosetae of female subgenital plate all situated on plate in P. trepostephanus sp. nov. ( Fig. 30 ), but lateral setae on each side situated lateral to plate in P. petrescuae .

Etymology

The species name is constructed from ‘ trepo ’, Greek for ‘I turn’, and ‘ stephanos ’, Greek for ‘crown, wreath’. This refers to the shape of the gonopore, with its anterio-lateral hooks.

Material examined

Holotype THAILAND • ♂; Songkhla Province, Muang, Thung Wang ; 4 Sep.1963; W.Songprakob [as Songphabob] and W. Suwan Laong leg.; ex Tephrodornis virgatus fretensis ; “ WS-471 ”; NHMUK.

Paratypes THAILAND • 1 ♀; same collection data as for holotype; NHMUK • 1 ♂; same collection data as for holotype; PIPR .

Non-type material

THAILAND • 3 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀; Loei Province, Thali, Ban Muang Khai ; 26 Jan. 1955; R.E. Elbel leg.; ex Tephrodornis virgatus mekongensis ; “ RE-4564 , RT-B-31145 ”; PIPR • 1 ♂, 1 ♀; same collection data as for preceding; “ RE-4563 , RT-B-31144 ”; PIPR .

Type host

Tephrodornis virgatus fretensis Robinson & Kloss, 1920 – large woodshrike (Vangidae).

Other host

Tephrodornis virgatus mekongensis Meyer de Schauensee, 1946 .

Description

Head shape and chaetotaxy as in Fig. 27 , preantennal area broad. Hyaline margin broad, extending laterally beyond marginal carina, shallowly concave medianly. Dorsal anterior plate roughly quadratic, with shallowly concave anterior margin and broad posterior extension. Ventral anterior plate roughly semicircular, with slightly concave anterior margin. Coni moderate, slender, pointed posteriorly. Gular plate large. Thoracic and abdominal segments as in Figs 25–26 . Measurements as in Table 5 .

Male

Thoracic and abdominal chaetotaxy as in Fig. 25 and Tables 2–4 . Central sternal plates absent on segments II–V, present and broad on segment VI. Lateral accessory plates present on segments II–VI. Subgenital plate broad anteriorly, narrowing markedly on segment IX+X, widening distally; lateral accessory plates present on abdominal segment IX+X, of about same size as other lateral accessory plates. Basal apodeme short, slender, constricted at mid-length ( Figs 28–29 ). Mesosomal thickening long, rounded anteriorly, with slight lateral bulges. Mesosome with 3 microsetae on each side ( Fig. 28 ). Gonopore as in Fig. 29 , broad and with prominent distal lobes; 2 microsetae on each side of gonopore. Parameres elongated, slender; pst1–2 as in Figs 28–29 .

Female

Thoracic and abdominal chaetotaxy as in Fig. 26 and Tables 2–4 . Central sternal plates absent on segments II–VI. Lateral accessory plates present on segments II–VI. Subgenital plate and vulval margin as in Fig. 30 , chaetotaxy as in Fig. 30 and Table 3. Subvulval plates broad.

Remarks

Specimens from the two host subspecies differ slightly in head shape and size (specimens from Tephrodornis virgatus mekongensis are generally larger than specimens from T. v. fretensis ; Table 5 ) and abdominal chaetotaxy (specimens from T. v. mekongensis typically have more tergal setae per segment than those from T. v. fretensis ), but some specimens from T. v. mekongensis have the same abdominal chaetotaxy as material from the type host subspecies, and most measurements overlap somewhat. The ranges of the two known host subspecies are separated by a gap in distribution in peninsular Thailand ( Robson 2006). We tentatively consider all specimens from both host subspecies conspecific.

Figures

Fig. 25. Philopterus trepostephanus sp. nov. ex Tephrodornis virgatus fretensis Robinson & Kloss, 1920, male habitus, dorsal and ventral views.

Fig. 26. Philopterus trepostephanus sp. nov. ex Tephrodornis virgatus fretensis Robinson & Kloss, 1920, female habitus, dorsal and ventral views.

Figs 27–30. Philopterus trepostephanus sp. nov. ex Tephrodornis virgatus fretensis Robinson & Kloss, 1920. 27. Male head, dorsal and ventral views. 28. Male genitalia, dorsal view. 29. Male genitalia, ventral view. 30. Female subgenital plate, vulval margin, and subvulval plates, ventral view.