Neopsittaconirmus palaeornis ( Eichler, 1943 )

Sychra, Old Ř Ich & Palma, Ricardo L., 2008, The identity of Neopsittaconirmus palaeornis (Eichler) (Phthiraptera: Philopteridae) from Psittacula derbiana (Psittaciformes: Psittacidae), with a new synonymy, Zootaxa 1827, pp. 62-64 : 62-64

Neopsittaconirmus palaeornis ( Eichler, 1943)

( Figs. 1–4 )

Pflegeriella palaeornis Eichler, 1943: 114 . Type host: Psittacula derbiana (Fraser) .

Neopsittaconirmus palaeornis ( Eichler, 1943) ; Hopkins & Clay, 1952: 238.

Neopsittaconirmus lybartota difficilis Guimarães, 1974: 141 . Type host: Psittacula alexandri fasciata (Statius Müller) — New synonymy.

Neopsittaconirmus paleornis [sic] ( Eichler, 1943); Guimarães, 1974: 186.

Neopsittaconirmus difficilis Guimarães, 1974 ; Price, Hellenthal & Palma, 2003: 200.

Neopsittaconirmus palaeornis ( Eichler, 1943) ; Price, Hellenthal & Palma, 2003: 200.

Redescriptions

Holotype male. As in Fig. 1 . Preantennal region as long as postantennal; anterior margin bordered by narrow hyaline margin. Antennal segment I stout, segment III with two verrucous processes. Metanotum with 4 very long marginal setae on each side. Tergites IV–VII with 1 long tergo-lateral seta on each side (one long tergo-lateral seta also on one side of tergite III); tergites III–VIII with 1 medium long tergo-central setae on each side; tergite IX ( Fig. 2 ) narrow, with a median indentation on its posterior margin bearing 13 medium long setae (7 on one side and 6 on the other) and 4 short central setae. Abdominal sterna II–VII each with 2–6 setae, with lengths as shown in Fig. 1 . Male genitalia as in Fig 3 . Dimensions (in millimetres): Head width (HW), 0.35; head length (HL), 0.43; preantennal length (PAL), 0.21; postantennal length (POL), 0.22; prothorax width (PW), 0.25; metathorax width (MW), 0.35; abdomen width at level of segment VI (AW), 0.44; total length (TL), 1.38; genitalia width (GW), 0.130.

Dimensions of 5 males from Psittacula alexandri : HW, 0.27–0.30; HL, 0.37–0.39; PAL, 0.17–0.19; POL, 0.19–0.21; PW, 0.19–0.22; MW, 0.27–0.31; AW, 0.28–0.34; TL, 1.39–1.43; GW, 0.098–0.105.

Female. Mostly as for male. Tergo-lateral seta on each side of tergites IV–VII; tergites II–VIII with very short tergocentral setae on each side. Ventral terminalia as in Fig. 4 ; subgenital plate angular with conspicuous submarginal “Vshaped” furrow. Dimensions: HW, 0.39; HL, 0.47; PAL, 0.24; POL, 0.23; PW, 0.26; MW, 0.39; AW, 0.53; TL, 1.88. Dimensions of 4 females from Psittacula alexandri : HW, 0.28–0.34; HL, 0.38–0.44; PAL, 0.18–0.19; POL, 0.20– 0.22; PW, 0.21–0.23; MW, 0.31–0.34; AW, 0.34–0.41; TL, 1.62–1.79.

Remarks. The above descriptions are almost identical to those of Guimarães (1974) for Neopsittaconirmus difficilis , with the exception of specimens of N. palaeornis from Psittacula derbiana being bigger in all dimensions than those from Psittacula alexandri . Larger dimensions in the lice from Psittacula derbiana could be due to the size of this parakeet being bigger than Psittacula alexandri (see Collar, 1997). Somewhat misleading is the presence of one long tergolateral seta on one side of tergite III in the holotype of N. palaeornis . Since the presence of tergo-lateral setae on tergites III–VII is characteristic of a group of four Neopsittaconirmus from Cockatoos ( Cacatuidae ) ( Sychra 2006), we assume that the presence of this seta on N. palaeornis is only an abnormality. Therefore, we place N. difficilis as a junior synonym of N. palaeornis . This synonymy conforms to the phylogeny of Psittacula , because P. derbiana is the closest species to P. alexandri (see Groombridge et al. 2004).

Material examined

Holotype male of Neopsittaconirmus palaeornis (WEC 225b) ex Psittacula derbiana , CHINA, Shanghai, Oct 1935, leg. H. Höne. Deposited at the Museum für Naturkunde, Humboldt-Universität Berlin, Germany. Other material examined

Female of N. palaeornis (WEC 222Ba) ex Urocissa erythrorhyncha (accidental host), CHINA, Wa-Su-Kou, Setchwan, 10 Oct 1935, leg. E. Schaefer. Deposited at the Museum für Naturkunde, Humboldt-Universität Berlin, Germany.

Paratypes of Neopsittaconirmus difficilis : 1 female and 1 male ex Psittacula alexandri , THAILAND, Phum Phan Mt., Sakon Nakhon, 21 Jun 1954, leg. R. E. Elbel & B. Lekagul; 1 male ex Psittacula alexandri , Upper BURMA, Myitkyina, 21 Jan 1945, leg. H. S. Fuller; 2 females and 2 males ex Psittacula alexandri , THAILAND, Muangkluand and Thungkha, Kapoe, Ramong, 22 Dec 1962, leg. Wanit Songprakob. All deposited at the Natural History Museum, London, England.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Neopsittaconirmus palaeornis (Eichler). 1 — male; 2 — male abdominal tergite IX; 3 — male genitalia; 4 — female ventral terminalia.