Brueelia chlorurae, Gustafsson & Bush, 2021

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 : 2092-2095

Brueelia chlorurae sp. nov.

Type host

Pipilo chlorurus ( Audubon 1839) – green-tailed towhee.

Type locality

Dugway Proving Grounds, Tooele County, Utah, United States .

Diagnosis

Brueelia chlorurae sp. nov. is most similar to Brueelia californica sp. nov., with which it shares the following characters: tps present on male tergopleurite VII ( Figures 7a and 11a ); ss present on male tergopleurite V ( Figures 7a . and 11a ); ps absent on male abdominal segment III ( Figures 7a and 11a ), but present on female abdominal segment III ( Figures 7b and 11b ); proximal mesosome elongate ( Figures 8c and 12c ); gonopore broad ( Figures 8c and 12c ); parameres elongated ( Figures 8d and 12d ). These two species can be separated by the following characters: aps present on male tergopleurite VII in B. chlorurae ( Figure 11a ), but absent in B. californica ( Figure 7a ); proximal mesosome with concave lateral margins in B. chlorurae ( Figure 12c ), but straight lateral margins in B. californica ( Figure 8c ); antero-lateral corners of gonopore concave in B. californica ( Figure 8c ), but convex in B. chlorurae ( Figure 12c ); distal parameres broader in B. chlorurae ( Figure 12d ) than in B. californica ( Figure 8d ); connection between subgenital plate and cross-piece broad in B. chlorurae ( Figure 12e ), but narrow in B. californica ( Figure 8e ).

Description

Both sexes. Head broadly drop-shaped ( Figure 12a ), lateral margins of preantennal area slightly convex, frons concave to flat. Marginal carina slender, deeply displaced and slightly widened at osculum. Ventral anterior plate small, triangular, in some specimens more elongated. Head chaetotaxy as in Figure 12a . Preantennal nodi slender, not bulging. Pre- and postantennal nodi moderate. Marginal temporal carina with irregular median margin. Gular plate lanceolate. Thoracic and abdominal segments as in Figure 11a–b . Base pigmentation pale yellow; sternal and subgenital plates, metepisterna, and gular plate pale brown; marginal and marginal temporal carinae, margins of antennal sockets, proepimera, and lateral margins of tergopleurites medium brown.

Male. Thoracic and abdominal chaetotaxy as in Figure 11a ; ss present on tergopleurite V; tps present on tergopleurite VII; aps absent on tergopleurite VI, present on tergopleurite VII; ps absent on abdominal segment III. Basal apodeme broad, slightly narrowing proximally ( Figure 12b ). Proximal mesosome elongated, slender, with concave lateral margins ( Figure 12c ). Mesosomal lobes broad, rounded; rugose area restricted to near distal and median margins; 2 pmes sensilla on each side of gonopore. Gonopore broad, roughly rectangular, but distal margin deeply concave; median section of gonopore with slight rugosity. Parameres stout, elongated, pst1–2 as in Figure 12d . Measurements (n = 4): TL = 1.36–1.38; HL = 0.34–0.36; HW = 0.26–0.27; PRW = 0.16–0.17; PTW = 0.24–0.25; AW = 0.32–0.35.

Female. Thoracic and abdominal chaetotaxy as in Figure 11b ; ps present on abdominal segment III. Proximal subgenital plate with concave lateral margins ( Figure 12e ), with broad connection to cross-piece. Vulval margin convergent to blunt median point ( Figure 12e ), with 4–5 short, slender vms and 3–4 short, thorn-like vss on each side; 3–4 short, slender vos on each side of subgenital plate; distal 1 vos median to vss. Measurements (n = 24 except TL, HL, AW where n = 23): TL = 1.58–1.79 (1.66); HL = 0.36–0.40 (0.38); HW = 0.27–0.30 (0.28); PRW = 0.17–0.19 (0.18); PTW = 0.25–0.28 (0.27); AW = 0.27–0.44 (0.39).

Etymology

The specific name is derived from the specific name of the type host.

Material examined

Ex Pipilo chlorurus : Holotype ♂, GPI-3, Dugway Proving Grounds , Tooele County, Utah, United States, 15 May 1964, E. & E. Branch, EE-5198 ( NHML) . Paratypes. 1♀, same data as holotype ( NHML); 2♂, 2♀, same data as holotype (PIPeR); 16♀, Clover Creek , Tooele County, Utah, United States, 1 May 1969, 09077 (PIPeR); 1♀, North Skull Valley , Tooele County, Utah, United States, 1 May 1963, E . & E. Branch, Cc-3E-161 (PIPeR); 1♀, White Rock Spring , Tooele County, Utah, United States, 12 May 1965, University of Utah, 00301 (PIPeR); 1♂, 4♀, 10 miles W of Dugway, Tooele County, Utah, United States, 3 May 1962, E . & E. Branch, Cc-135 (PIPeR).

Remarks

Two of four examined males have one ps on one side of segment III. This has not been illustrated.

Figures

Figure 7. Brueelia californica sp. nov. ex Melozone crissalis (Vigors 1839). (A) male habitus, dorsal and ventral views; (b) female habitus, dorsal and ventral views.

Figure 8. Brueelia californica sp. nov. ex Melozone crissalis (Vigors 1839). (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.

Figure 11. Brueelia chlorurae sp. nov. ex Pipilo chlorurus (Audubon 1839). (a) male habitus, dorsal and ventral views; (b) female habitus, dorsal and ventral views.

Figure 12. Brueelia chlorurae sp. nov. ex Pipilo chlorurus (Audubon 1839). (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.