Brueelia vulgata ( Kellogg 1896 )

Gustafsson, Daniel R. & Bush, Sarah E., 2021, Descriptions of seven new species of Brueelia Kéler 1936 (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera: Philopteridae) from North American sparrows (Aves: Passeriformes: Passerellidae), and review of host use by Brueelia vulgata, Journal of Natural History 54 (33 - 34), pp. 2071-2112 : 2074-2078

Brueelia vulgata ( Kellogg 1896)

Nirmus vulgatus Kellogg 1896, p. 496

Degeeriella vulgata Kellogg [1896] ; Harrison 1916, p. 126

Painjunirmus vulgata ( Kellogg [1896]) ; Ansari 1947, p. 287

Brueelia vulgata ( Kellogg, 1896) ; Hopkins and Clay 1952, p. 63

Type host

Junco hyemalis hyemalis ( Linnaeus 1758) – dark-eyed junco.

Type locality

Lawrence, Kansas, United States .

Other hosts

Ammospiza nelsoni ( Allen 1875) – Nelson’s sparrow. Junco hyemalis oreganus ( Townsend 1837) – dark-eyed junco. Melospiza melodia ( Wilson 1810) – song sparrow. Passerella iliaca ( Merrem 1786) – fox sparrow. Spizelloides arborea ( Wilson 1810) – American tree sparrow. Zonotrichia albicollis ( Gmelin 1789) – white-throated sparrow. Zonotrichia atricapilla ( Gmelin 1789) – golden-crowned sparrow [Ref: Kellogg 1896]. Zonotrichia leucophrys ( Forster 1772) – white-crowned sparrow. Zonotrichia leucophrys gambellii ( Nuttall 1840) – white-crowned sparrow [Ref: Kellogg 1896].

Description

Both sexes. Head convex dome-shaped ( Figure 2a ), lateral margins of preantennal area slightly convex, frons narrowly flattened. Marginal carina of moderate width, much displaced and widened at osculum. Ventral anterior plate elongated triangular, anterior margin straight. Head chaetotaxy as in Figure 2a . Preantennal nodi small, not bulging. Pre- and postocular nodi moderate. Marginal temporal carina with very irregular median margin. Gular plate broadly lanceolate. Thoracic and abdominal segments as in Figure 1a–b . Head, thoracic plates, tergopleurites, and sternal and subgenital plates pale brown, only lateral tergopleurites and head carinae darker.

Male. Thoracic and abdominal chaetotaxy as in Figure 1a ; ss present on tergopleurite V; no tps on tergopleurites II–VIII; aps absent on tergopleurite VI, present on tergopleurite VII; ps present on segments III. Basal apodeme broad, narrowing proximally ( Figure 2b ). Proximal mesosome small, flattened or rounded ( Figure 2c ). Mesosomal lobes wide, lateral margins distally convergent; 2 pmes microsetae on each side postero-lateral to gonopore; rugose area extensive. Gonopore roughly crescent-shaped. Penile arms do not reach distal margin of mesosomal lobes. Parameres slender, elongated, pst1–2 as in Figure 2d . Measurements ex Junco hyemalis ssp. (n = 4): TL = 1.36–1.50; HL = 0.34–0.36; HW = 0.26–0.29; PRW = 0.16–0.18; PTW = 0.25–0.27; AW = 0.35–0.37. Measurements ex J. h. hyemalis (n = 2): TL = 1.44–1.50; HL = 0.33–0.34; HW = 0.26–0.27; PRW = 0.16–0.17; PTW = 0.26–0.27; AW = 0.38–0.39. Measurements ex J. h. oreganus (n = 5 except AW where n = 4): TL = 1.37–1.48; HL = 0.31–0.34; HW = 0.25–0.27; PRW = 0.15–0.17; PTW = 0.23–0.27; AW = 0.32–0.37. Measurements ex Zonotrichia albicollis (n = 3 except TL where n = 2): TL = 1.39–1.43; HL = 0.35; HW = 0.27–0.28; PRW = 0.17–0.18; PTW = 0.25–0.27; AW = 0.36–0.38. Measurements ex Z. leucophrys (n = 1): TL = 1.34; HL = 0.32; HW = 0.25; PRW = 0.16; PTW = 0.23; AW = 0.33.

Female. Thoracic and abdominal chaetotaxy as in Figure 1b ; ps present on segment III. Lateral margins of proximal subgenital plate more or less parallel ( Figure 2e ), narrow connection to cross-piece. Vulval margin convergent to rounded median point ( Figure 2e ), with 3–4 short, slender vms and 3–4 short, thorn-like vss on each side; 3–5 short, slender vos on each side of subgenital plate; distal 1 vos median to vss. Measurements ex Junco hyemalis ssp. (n = 14): TL = 1.48–1.76 (1.62); HL = 0.34–0.39 (0.37); HW = 0.27–0.31 (0.29); PRW = 0.16–0.20 (0.18); PTW = 0.26–0.30 (0.28); AW = 0.36–0.44 (0.40). Measurements ex J. h. hyemalis (n = 8): TL = 1.53–1.73; HL = 0.35–0.37; HW = 0.28–0.30; PRW = 0.17–0.19; PTW = 0.27–0.29; AW = 0.39–0.44. Measurements ex J. h. oreganus (n = 21 except PTW where n = 20, and AW where n = 19): TL = 1.49–1.85 (1.70); HL = 0.34–0.39 (0.37); HW = 0.27–0.31 (0.29); PRW = 0.16–1.20 (0.18); PTW = 0.24–0.32 (0.28); AW = 0.33–0.46 (0.41). Measurements ex Zonotrichia albicollis (n = 16 except TL, HL, PTW where n = 15): TL = 1.57–1.77 (1.67); HL = 0.35–0.38 (0.37); HW = 0.28–0.31 (0.29); PRW = 0.17–0.20 (0.18); PTW = 0.27–0.31 (0.29); AW = 0.38–0.44 (0.40). Measurements ex Z. leucophrys (n = 17): TL = 1.52–1.72 (1.62); HL = 0.35–0.38 (0.37); HW = 0.27–0.29 (0.28); PRW = 0.17–0.19 (0.18); PTW = 0.26–0.28 (0.27); AW = 0.36–0.50 (0.43).

Material examined

Ex Junco hyemalis hyemalis . Lectotype ♀, Lawrence, Kansas, United States, V. L. Kellogg, 238b, EMEC75460 ( EMEC). Non-types. 2♂, 3♀, California, United States, Mar. 1939, R. Meinertzhagen , 12,928 ( NHML); 1♀, London Zoo , United Kingdom [label states ‘( Canada)’, which may be origin of host], Dec. 1936, R. Meinertzhagen , 8158 ( NHML); 4♀, ‘( Zoo )’, Newfoundland, Canada, Mar. 1938, R. Meinertzhagen, 11,140 ( NHML).

Ex Junco hyemalis (subspecies unknown). 4♀, Vienna , Alabama, United States, 5 March 1928 ( UMSP); 1♀, McCormick Place , Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States, 3 April 2006, J .D. Weckstein, FMNH06-136 /JDW06-04, FMNH-INS 0000 028 067, voucher for sequence Brvu . 6.27.2006.28 ( FMNH); 1♂, 1♀, Chevy Chase , Maryland, United Stets, 6 February 1922, E .A. Chapin, 15,634 on reverse ( NHML); 5♀, Orient , Long Island, United States, 17 November 1947, R . Latham, RL- 26,891, 15,635 on reverse ( NHML); 1♂, 1♀, Deposit , New York, United States, 8 April 1966, S .S. Wilson, 15,631 on reverse ( NHML); 2♂, 2♀, Totem Park , Juneau, Alaska, United States, 10 September 1973, 749, lot 74 3407 ( NHML) .

Ex J. h. oreganus. 8♂, 11♀, Iosepa , Tooele County, Utah, United States, 11 January 1965, E . & E. Branch, Dugway P /G, 7372–86 (PIPeR); 7♀, Little Granite Mountain , Dugway, Tooele County, Utah, United States, 27 October 1970, EE-700-117 (PIPeR) . 2♀, same locality, 29 October 1970, EE-700-122 (PIPeR); 1♂, same locality, 29 October 1970, EE-700-121 (PIPeR); 1♀, South Cedar Mountain , Dugway P/G, Tooele County, Utah, United States, 31 January 1963, E . & E. Branch, University of Utah, JO-11-B3A (PIPeR); 2♀, V . R .S., Lbge , Alta, United States, 1 May 1956, R . Connell, Brit . Mus. 1960–443 ( NHML)

Ex Zonotrichia albicollis . 4♀, Callao , Tooele County, Utah, United States, 8 October 1964, E . & E. Branch (PIPeR); 1♀, Loop , Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States, 5 May 2005, J .D. Weckstein, FMNH05-063 /JDW05-005, FMNH-INS 000 028 104, voucher for sequence Brsp .Zoal. 6.27.2006.19 ( FMNH); 3♂, 11♀, Virginia, United States, Feb . 1939, R. Meinertzhagen, 12,653 ( NHML).

Ex Zonotrichia leucophrys . 6♀, Dugway , Tooele County, Utah, United States, 13 May 1969, 090–72-73 (PIPeR); 6♀, Government Creek , Tooele County, Utah, United States, 4 May 1962, E . & E. Branch, University of Utah, 2 L-192 (PIPeR); 3♀, 25 miles South of Allende , Mexico, 6 April 1958, C .A. Ely, CAE-458 (PIPeR); 1♀, McCormick Place , Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States, 10 May 2005, J .D. Weckstein, FMNH05-091 /JDW05- 012, FMNH-INS 0000 028 055, voucher for sequence Brsp .Zole. 6.27.2006.21 ( FMNH); 1♀, Skull Valley , vicinity Dugway, Tooele County, Utah, United States, 14 October 1953, R . Porter, 213, B-655, EMEC-225,347 ( EMEC); 1♂, 3♀, Sonora , Texas, United States, 21 January 1929, H .S. Peters, 13,020 ( NHML) .

Remarks

Kellogg (1896) described Nirmus vulgatus based on specimens collected from eight different host species [ Haemorhous mexicanus ( Müller, 1776) , H. purpureus ( Gmelin, 1789) , Junco hyemalis ( Linnaeus, 1758) , Melozone crissalis ( Vigors, 1839) , Pipilo maculatus Swainson, 1827 , Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 , Zonotrichia coronata ( Gmelin, 1789) , Zonotrichia leucophrys ( Forster, 1772) ]. Subsequently, the same species has ostensibly been reported from a large number of different hosts. In total, at least 50 different bird species in three different host orders from North and South America, Africa, and Asia have been reported as hosts to Brueelia vulgata (e.g. Kellogg 1896; Kellogg and Chapman 1899; Kellogg and Kuwana 1902; Kellogg and Paine 1911; Waterston 1914; Peters 1928, 1933, 1936; Geist 1931; Brown and Wilk 1944; Ansari 1947; Woodman and Dicke 1954; Carriker 1956; Malcomson 1960; Reeves et al. 2007; Bueter et al. 2009; Bush et al. 2016). Many of these have subsequently been described as separate species of Brueelia , and Price et al. (2003) only listed Junco hyemalis as host to B. vulgata . Many of these records are likely to be due to the poor original description of B. vulgata .

However, even the type series of Nirmus vulgatus contains material from a large number of hosts ( Kellogg 1896). Most of this material is in poor condition, and details of chaetotaxy (particularly smaller setae such as head setae, genital setae, or ss), the male genitalia, and the shape of the female subgenital plate cannot be examined. Moreover, many of the specimens are female, and the male genitalia of specimens from different hosts cannot be compared. Based primarily on head shape and size, most of the other material in Kellogg’s collection appears to belong to other species of Brueelia , and some of these are described below. A few others were described by Gustafsson and Bush (2019).

Carriker (1956) suggested Haemorhous purpureus californicus Baird, 1858 , as the type host of N. vulgatus , but later ( Carriker 1957) designated a female from Junco hyemalis as the lectotype of Nirmus vulgatus after having studied Kellogg’s types. The lectotype is poorly preserved, but what can be seen is indistinguishable from other material from J. hyemalis . In addition, material from Zonotrichia coronata and Z. leucophrys is identical to material from J. hyemalis . As this material comes from a large number of different collections, Zonotrichia spp. appear to be natural hosts of B. vulgatus . The host genera Junco and Zonotrichia are closely related (e.g. Klicka et al. 2014; Bryson et al. 2016).

Both Bueter et al. (2009) and Bush et al. (2016) showed that specimens of Brueelia from J. hyemalis and several other species of sparrows are genetically very similar, and we include these species ( Passerella iliaca , Melospiza melodia , Spizelloides arborea , Zonotrichia atricapilla and Ammospiza nelsoni ) as natural hosts of B. vulgata . Note, however, that a second species of Brueelia occurs on some populations of Passerella iliaca ( Brueelia tenebrosa sp. nov.) and Melospiza melodia ( Brueelia melospizae sp. nov.). It is possible that these species of Brueelia and B. vulgata exhibit geographical specificity, as is known to occur among Brueelia -complex species in other host groups ( Toon and Hughes 2008; Bush et al. 2009; Gustafsson and Bush 2017). More specimens from across the range of the hosts are needed to determine the geographic specificity and the frequency with which B. vulgata infests P. iliaca and M. melodia .

Figures

Figure 1. Brueelia vulgata (Kellogg 1896) ex Junco hyemalis hyemalis (Linnaeus 1758). (a) male habitus, dorsal and ventral views; (b) female habitus, dorsal and ventral views.

Figure 2. Brueelia vulgata (Kellogg 1896) ex Junco hyemalis hyemalis (Linnaeus 1758). (a) male head, dorsal and ventral views; (b) male genitalia, dorsal view (c) male mesosome, ventral view; (d) male paramere, dorsal view; (e) female subgenital plate and vulval margin, ventral view.