chewing lice

Nasser, Mohamed, Al-Ahmed, Azzam, Shobrak, Mohammed & Aldryhim, Yousif, 2015, Identification key for chewing lice (Phthiraptera: Amblycera, Ischnocera) infesting the Indian Peafowl (Pavo cristatus) with one new country record and new host record for Saudi Arabia, Turkish Journal of Zoology 39 (1), pp. 88-94 : 92-93

Key to species of chewing lice parasitizing Indian Peacock

1. Antennae clavate, concealed at rest in antennal fossae, maxillary palps present ................................... Amblycera 2

Antennae usually filiform, appear on the side of the head, maxillary palps absent ............................ Ischnocera 7

2. Head with ventral processes and pair of postpalpal processes ......................................................... Menacanthus 3

Head with no ventral processes or palpal processes .... 4

3. Mesosternum entirely curved anteriorly ( Figure 5a ) .............................................................. Menacanthus kaddoui

Mesosternum pointed medially ( Figure 5b ) .................... ......................................................... Menacanthus stramineus

4. Head temporal lobe subrectangular, body elongated; hind femur with ventral rows of short thick spines ( Figure 5c ) ................................................................ Colpocephalum 5

Head temporal lobe rounded, body stout; hind femur without such ventral rows of short thick spines .................... ............................................................................... Amyrsidea 6

5. Lateral tergite IX has a comb of 2–5 spiniform setae ( Figure 5d ) ............................................ Colpocephalum tausi

Without such combs on tergite IX .................................... ...................................................... Colpocephalum thoracicum

6. Abdomen with 2 rows of tergal setae ........................... ............................................................. Amyrsidea phaeostoma

Abdomen with only posterior row of tergal setae ( Figure 1 ) ................................................... Amyrsidea minuta

7. Abdomen elongated, the first antennal segment of male slightly slim ( Figure 5e ........................... Lipeurus pavo

Abdomen oval or almost rounded, the first antennal segment of male enlarged ( Figures 5f–5h ) ......................... 8

8. First antennal segment of male without appendage, and if present it is not sharply pointed ( Figure 5f ); pleurites of abdominal segment VIII of female with well-developed pulvilliform setose processes ............................................................. Goniodes 9

First antennal segment of male with sharp pointed appendage ( Figures 5g and 5h ); pleurites of abdominal segment VIII of female without such processes ................... ............................................................................ Goniocotes 11

9. Antennal base is not lobed ............ Goniodes dissimilis

Antennal base is enlarged and lobed ........................... 10

10. Large, thickened overhanging clavi and terminal segments of the abdomen in both sexes; anterior margin of male genital opening prolonged posteriorly and bilobed .... ...................................................................... Goniodes pavonis

Normal clavi and terminal segment of abdomen; male genitalia not prolonged posteriorly .................................... ..................................................... Goniodes meinertzhageni

11. The preantennal region of head slightly wider than the postantennal part ........................... Goniocotes parviceps

The preantennal region of head is shorter or equal to postantennal part ................................................................ 12

12. Anterior margin of carina narrow; antenna of male very large, especially the first antennal segment, which has a triangular appendage with a thick spine-like appendage ... .................................................................... Goniocotes mayuri

Anterior margin of carina wide; antenna slim showing slightly significant difference between male and female .. ...................................................... Goniocotes rectangulatus

Figures

Figure 1. Female Amyrsidea minuta. Normal image on the left and modified image on the right. The modified photo shows the effectiveness of the editing technique, showing small structures and textures of the lice more clearly than the normal one.

Figure 5. a) Mesosternum of Menacanthus kaddoui; b) mesosternum of Menacanthus stramineus; c) hind leg of Colpocephalum spp.; d) dorsal view of VIII and IX segment of Colpocephalum tausi; e) male antenna of Lipeurus pavo; f) male antenna of Goniodes meinertzhageni; g) male antenna of Goniocotes mayuri; h) male antenna of Goniocotes parviceps.