Brueelia flavala Najer & Sychra

Najer, Tomas, Sychra, Oldrich, Hung, Nguyen Manh, Capek, Miroslav, Podzemny, Petr & Literak, Ivan, 2012, New species and new records of chewing lice (Phthiraptera: Amblycera and Ischnocera) from bulbuls (Passeriformes: Pycnonotidae) in Vietnam, Zootaxa 3357, pp. 37-48 : 42

Brueelia flavala Najer & Sychra , sp. nov.

( Figs. 3 A–F, 5 C–D)

Type host: Hemixos flavala Blyth, 1845 , the Ashy Bulbul

Male (n = 2) ( Figs. 3 A and 5C). Preantennal region as long as the postantennal, with straight anterior margin. The marginal carina with lateral interruptions and complete medial interruptions formed by a pair of sutures originating in the anterior hyaline margin, sutures run along either side of a moderately sclerotized dorsal anterior head plate, but leave the plate continuous with the remainder of the head's dorsal sclerotization (type “e” in Johnson et al. 2002; Fig. 3 B). Metanotum with 3–5 setae on each side of posterior margin. Metapleurite with two medium long and one short seta.

Tergal setae: postspiracular accessory setae: II–III, 0; IV–VI, 0–1; VII, 1–2 on each side of abdominal segments; sutural setae: II–VII, medium long to long extending through next two segments; VIII, short. Tergite VIII with one short seta in each postero-lateral corner and 1–2 short tergoposterior setae mediad of each spiracle ( Fig. 3 C), on each side; tergite IX with 2 long and 4–6 short setae, on each side; terminal dorsal sclerite with 4 setae ( Fig. 3 C). Abdominal sterna II–VI with a pair of short lateral setae. Pleural plates markedly dark brown, contrasting with the pale rest of body. Paratergal setae: II–III, 0; IV–V, 2; VI–VIII, 3. Male genitalia as in Fig. 3 D, with quite short and stout parameres with enlarged rounded base, endomeral complex conspicuously Y-shaped with serrated anterior parts and small rounded area of sclerotization in its central part. Dimensions: PAW, 0.29–0.30; PAL, 0.17; TW, 0.35–0.36; POL, 0.16–0.18; HL, 0.34–0.35; PW, 0.21–0.22; ML, 0.14–0.15; MW, 0.31–0.32; AWV, 0.47; AL, 0.73–0.76; GW, 0.07; TL, 1.30–1.32.

Female (n = 6) ( Figs. 3 E and 5D). Generally as for male. Tergite VIII with one short seta in each postero-lateral corner and 1–2 short tergoposterior setae mediad of each spiracle; tergite IX with 2 long and 2 short setae on each side, as in Fig. 3 E. Paratergal setae: II–III, 0; IV, 1; V, 2; VI–VIII, 3. Ventral terminalia as in Fig. 3 F; subgenital plate wide slightly convex posteriorly, with 12–18 spine-like and 4–6 fine minute setae. Dimensions: PAW, 0.31–0.34; PAL, 0.16–0.18; TW, 0.39–0.40; POL, 0.17–0.18; HL, 0.37–0.39; PW, 0.23–0.24; ML, 0.14–0.16; MW, 0.34–0.36; AWV, 0.50–0.56; AL, 0.95–1.04; TL, 1.60–1.68.

Type material. Holotype male ex Hemixos flavala , VIETNAM: Botanical Garden, Cuc Phuong, Province of Ninh Binh (20°15' N 105°42' E), 7 February 2010, coll. I. Literak. Deposited in IEBR VAST (O.Sychra V16). Paratypes: 3 females with the same data as holotype in IEBR VAST (O. Sychra V16 and V17); 2 females with the same data as holotype in MMBC (O. Sychra V18); 1 male ex Hemixos castanonotus , other data as in holotype, in MMBC (O. Sychra V19).

Remarks. Together with B. alophoixi Sychra, 2009 and B. guldum Ansari, 1955 , Brueelia flavala is the third species of Brueelia known from the passerine family Pycnonotidae , and the second species known from Vietnam. There are 40 other species of Brueelia known from passerine and non-passerine birds (Price et al. 2003), which may potentially occur in Vietnam, but so far are known from other countries. Brueelia flavala can be separated from all of them by the following combinations of features: (1) different configuration of frontal part of head, especially by a dorsal anterior head plate that is almost completely encircled by sutures ( Fig. 3 B); (2) interrupted marginal carina on its lateral margin; (3) the presence of sutural setae on all tergites II–VIII; (4) noticeably dark pleurites in comparison of the rest of body; (5) characteristic male genitalia with short and stout parameres and a Yshaped endomeral complex.

Etymology. The species epithet derives from the species name of the type host.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Brueelia flavala. A, Male. B, Dorso-anterior part of head of male with dorsal and ventral anterior head plate. C, Male dorsal terminalia. D, Male genitalia. E, Female. F, Female ventral terminalia. Scales 0.10 mm (Figs. A, C – F), 0.05 mm (Fig. B). For Figs. A and E dorsal side on left, ventral side on right.