Brueelia sima, Gustafsson & Zou & Oslejskova & Najer & Sychra, 2019

Gustafsson, Daniel R., Zou, Fasheng, Oslejskova, Lucie, Najer, Tomas & Sychra, Oldřich, 2019, Four new species of Brueelia Kéler, 1936 (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera) from African hosts, with a redescription of Nirmus bicurvatus Piaget, 1880, European Journal of Taxonomy 507, pp. 1-48 : 24-27

Brueelia sima sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3657A29B-5BDB-4E90-A0EC-AD665F787BC7

Figs 30–36 , 43–44

Type host

Malimbus nitens (Gray, 1831) – blue-billed malimbe ( Ploceidae ).

Type locality

Batouri, Cameroon.

Diagnosis

Brueelia sima sp. nov. is part of the informal ʻAfrican pied Brueelia ʼ group (see above). Within this group, B. sima sp. nov. does not appear to be particularly similar to any other species, but the head shape and proportions are most reminiscent of those in B. cantans Sychra in Sychra et al., 2010 . These two species can be separated by the following characters: in B. cantans , aps and tps are present on male tergopleurites V–VI, but they are absent in B. sima sp. nov. ( Fig. 30 ); multiple tps are present on male tergopleurite VII in B. cantans , but only a single tps is present on this segment in males of B. sima sp. nov. ( Fig. 30 ); the mesosome has angular postero-lateral corners in B. cantans , but has rounded postero-lateral corners in B. sima sp. nov. ( Fig. 34 ); parameres less elongated in B. sima sp. nov. ( Fig. 35 ) than in B. cantans ; the female subgenital plate with an anterior transversal fenestra, interrupted medianly, and with a large central fenestra separated from the anterior transversal fenestra in B. sima sp. nov. ( Figs 36 , 43 ), but with all these fenestrae continuous in B. cantans .

Etymology

The specific epithet is derived from the Latin ʻ simus ʼ for ʻsnub-nosedʼ, referring to the relatively short and broad preantennal area of this species.

Type material

Holotype CAMEROON • ♂; French Cameroons [= Cameroon], Batouri; 15 May 1959; J. Mouchet leg.; British Museum; NHML 1960-295 .

Paratype

CAMEROON • ♀; same data as for holotype; NHML 1960-295 .

Description

Head rounded trapezoidal ( Fig. 32 ), lateral margins of preantennal area slightly convex, frons broadly flattened. Marginal carina broad, deeply displaced and much widened at osculum, and with undulating median margin. Ventral anterior plate broad, shield-shaped. Head chaetotaxy and pigmentation pattern as in Fig. 32 . Preantennal nodi bulging, elongated. Preocular nodi much larger than postocular nodi. Marginal temporal carina broad, with distinctly undulating median margin. Gular plate broad, with concave antero-lateral margins. Thoracic and abdominal segments and pigmentation patterns as in Figs 30–31 , 43–44 .

Male

Thoracic and abdominal chaetotaxy as in Fig. 30 . Basal apodeme broad, lateral margins concave ( Fig. 33 ). Proximal mesosome roughly trapezoidal, widening slightly distally, and with anterior margin convergent to median point ( Fig. 34 ). Mesosomal lobes broad, rounded distally, with extensive rugose area at distal end. Gonopore crescent-shaped, slightly wider than long. Penile arms short, not reaching

beyond distal margin of mesosome. Parameres broad, not much elongated distally; pst1–2 as in Fig. 35 . Measurements (n = 1): TL = 1.56; HL = 0.36; HW = 0.32; PRW = 0.23; PTW = 0.31; AW = 0.43.

Female

Thoracic and abdominal chaetotaxy as in Fig. 31 . Pigmentation pattern of subgenital plate as in Fig. 36 ; note that transition between brown and translucent areas of subgenital plate is gradual, and exact borders of translucent fenestra here approximate. Subgenital plate rounded triangular ( Fig. 36 ), with broad connection to cross piece. Vulval margin gently rounded, with 1 short, slender vms and 4–5 short, thorn-like vss on each side; 3–6 short, slender vos on each side of subgenital plate; distal 1 vos median to vss. Measurements (n = 1): TL = 1.80; HL = 0.39; HW = 0.35; PRW = 0.24; PTW = 0.35; AW = 0.53.

Remarks

The abdomen of the single examined female is partially disrupted due to mounting; however, one side of every segment is undistorted. We have here illustrated the abdomen tentatively, based on the undistorted sides. However, the gonapophysal setae on segments VIII–X are absent on both sides of the specimen and are not illustrated here. These setae are present in all other species of the Brueelia complex, and when more specimens of B. sima sp. nov. are examined, it is likely that these setae will be found.

Figures

Figs 30–31. Brueelia sima sp. nov. ex Malimbus nitens (Gray, 1831). 30. ♂, holotype (NHML 1960- 295), habitus, dorsal and ventral views. 31. ♀, habitus, dorsal and ventral views.

Figs 32–36. Brueelia sima sp. nov. ex Malimbus nitens (Gray, 1831). 32–35. ♂, holotype (NHML 1960-295). 32. Head, dorsal and ventral views. 33. Genitalia, dorsal view. 34. Mesosome, ventral view. 35. Paramere, dorsal view. 36. ♀, subgenital plate and vulval margin, ventral view.

Figs 37–44. Habitus photos of the species of Brueelia described as new herein, showing overall pigmentation patterns. 37. B. pofadderensis sp. nov., ♀. 38. B. pofadderensis sp. nov., ♂. 39. B. semiscalaris sp. nov., ♀. 40. B. semiscalaris sp. nov., ♂. 41. B. terpsichore sp. nov., ♀. 42. B. terpsichore sp. nov., ♂. 43. B. sima sp. nov., ♀. 44. B. sima sp. nov., ♂. All photographs are to scale.