Brueelia cucphuongensis 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 : 44

Brueelia cucphuongensis Najer & Sychra , sp. nov.

( Figs. 4 A–D, 5 E–F)

Type host: Pycnonotus finlaysoni Strickland, 1844 , the Stripe-throated Bulbul

Male (n = 6) ( Figs. 4 A and 5E). Preantennal region as long as the postantennal, the anterior margin straight or slightly concave. 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–IV, 0; V–VII, 0–1 on each side of abdominal segments; sutural setae: II–VIII, short not extending beyond the posterior margin of next segment. Tergite VIII with one short seta in each postero-lateral corner and one short tergoposterior setae mediad of each spiracle; tergite IX with 2 long and 3–4 short setae; terminal dorsal sclerite with 5–6 setae ( Fig. 4 A). Abdominal sterna II–VI with a pair of short lateral setae, on sternite II shifted medialy. Sternites unicolour light brown, but quite darker than the pale membrane between sternites and pleurites ( Fig. 5 E). Paratergal setae: II–III, 0; IV–V, 1–2; VI–VIII, 3. Male genitalia as in Fig. 4 B, with thin margins and somewhat bigger rounded area between the arms of Y-shaped endomeral plate, compared to B. flavala . Dimensions: PAW, 0.26–0.28; PAL, 0.14–0.16; TW, 0.32–0.34; POL, 0.15–0.17; HL, 0.31–0.32; PW, 0.19–0.20; ML, 0.11–0.13; MW, 0.27–0.28; AWV, 0.40–0.42; AL, 0.68–0.72; GW, 0.06–0.07; TL, 1.22–1.25.

Female (n = 4) ( Figs. 4 C and 5F). Generally as for male. Tergite VIII with one short seta in each postero-lateral corner and one short tergoposterior setae mediad of each spiracle; tergite IX with 2 long and 2 short setae on each side. Paratergal setae: II–III, 0; IV, 1; V, 2; VI–VIII, 3. Ventral terminalia as in Fig. 4 D; subgenital plate wide slightly convex posteriorly, with 10–11 spine-like and 6–8 fine minute setae. Dimensions: PAW, 0.29–0.32; PAL, 0.15–0.16; TW, 0.35–0.38; POL, 0.16–0.19; HL, 0.34–0.36; PW, 0.21–0.23; ML, 0.13–0.15; MW, 0.31–0.32; AWV, 0.48–0.50; AL, 0.96–1.03; TL, 1.53–1.64.

Type material. Holotype male ex Pycnonotus finlaysoni , VIETNAM: the area surrounding the tourist centre and ranger station in the centre of Cuc Phuong National Park, Cuc Phuong, Province of Ninh Binh (20°15' N 105°42' E), 4 February 2010, coll. I. Literak. Deposited in IEBR VAST (O.Sychra V20). Paratypes: 1 female with the same data as holotype in IEBR VAST (O.Sychra V20); 1 male, 1 females with the same data as holotype in MMBC (O. Sychra V21); 1 male, 1 female ex Pycnonotus flaviventris ( Tickell, 1833) , other data as in holotype, in IEBR VAST (O. Sychra V22); 1 male, 1 female ex Iole propinqua ( Oustalet, 1903) , other data as in holotype, in IEBR VAST (O. Sychra V23).

Remarks. This is the first record of a chewing louse species from Iole propinqua . Brueelia cucphuongensis is morphologically similar to B. flavala , but it can be separated from the latter, as well as from all other Brueelia , which may occur in Vietnam (Price et al. 2003), by the following features: (1) lighter pleurites and markedly darker sternites than in B. flavala ; (2) male genitalia with thin margins and somewhat bigger rounded area between the arms of the Y-shaped endomeral plate; (3) in the male, a short sutural setae on II–VII not reaching the posterior margin of the next tergite and (4) smaller dimensions.

Etymology. The species epithet derives from the name of the Cuc Phuong National Park, situated in northern Vietnam, also the type locality of this new louse species.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Brueelia cucphuongensis. A, Male. B, Male genitalia. C, Female. D, Female ventral terminalia. Scales 0.10 mm for all figures. For Figs. A and C dorsal side on left, ventral side on right.

FIGURE 5. Philopteroides flavala. A, Holotype male. B, Paratype female. Brueelia flavala. C, Holotype male. D, Paratype female. Brueelia cucphuongensis. E, Holotype male. F, Paratype female.