Turdinirmoides janigai Gustafsson, Zou & Bush, 2022

Gustafsson, Daniel R., Zou, Fasheng & Bush, Sarah E., 2022, Descriptions of six new species of slender-bodied chewing lice of the Resartor-group (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera: Brueelia-complex), Zootaxa 5104 (4), pp. 506-530 : 516-519

Turdinirmoides janigai Gustafsson, Zou & Bush , new species

( Figs 20–26 )

Type host. Prunella collaris nipalensis (Blyth, 1843) —alpine accentor ( Prunellidae ).

Other host. Prunella collaris fennelli Deignan, 1964 —alpine accentor ( Prunellidae ).

Type locality. Sakhuwasabha District , Nepal .

Diagnosis. Turdinirmoides janigai n. sp. is most similar to T. rozsai n. sp., sharing the following characters: tps absent on all male tergopleurites; 2 ps on each side of male abdominal segment VI; pst1 not close to pst2; female subgenital plate pentagonal. However, these two species can be separated by the following characters: head longer than broad in T. janigai ( Fig. 22 ), but as long as broad in T. rozsai ( Fig. 29 ); 1 ps present on each side of female abdominal segment III in T. janigai ( Fig. 21 ), but absent in T. rozsai ( Fig. 29 ); proximal mesosome with smooth margins in T. janigai ( Fig. 25 ), but with irregular margins in T. rozsai ( Fig. 32 ); mesosomal lobes rounded with anterior hooks, distal fringe, and 2 lpmes microsetae on each side in T. rozsai ( Fig. 32 ), but bluntly triangular, without hooks, fringes, or lpmes in T. janigai ( Fig. 25 ); female subgenital plate not reaching cross-piece in T. janigai ( Fig. 26 ), but overlapping with detached cross-piece in T. rozsai ( Fig. 33 ); detached cross-piece reaches vulval margin only medianly and laterally in T. janigai ( Fig. 26 ), but along entire length in T. rozsai ( Fig. 33 ).

Description. Both sexes. Head as in Fig. 22 , with lateral margins of preantennal area convex, and frons slightly concave medially. Marginal carina not interrupted laterally. Dorsal preantennal suture extends slightly median to ads. Dorsal anterior plate with sinuous thickening medianly. Ventral anterior plate present. Head chaetotaxy as in Fig. 22 . Coni short, broad. Temples rounded. Gular plate roughly triangular. Thoracic and abdominal segments as in Figs 20–21 .

Male. Subgenital plate divided into sternal plate VII and subgenital plate covering segments VIII–XI. Thoracic and abdominal chaetotaxy as in Fig. 20 ; sts present on segment VII; tsp absent on tergopleurite VIII. Basal apodeme ( Fig. 23 ) rounded rectangular, slightly constricted in distal half. Proximal mesosome ( Fig. 25 ) broad, rounded rectangular. Mesosomal lobes roughly triangular, with broad dorsal transverse fingers in distal end; 2 gpmes sensilla on each side of gonopore. Gonopore narrowly open distally, antero-lateral extensions broad, rounded; distal section with internal V-shaped thickenings. Parameral heads ( Fig. 24 ) large, bifid. Parameral blades roughly oval; pts1 sensillum, central near distal end of paramere; pst2 sensillum, near distal margin. Measurements ex Prunella collaris nipalensis (n = 2): TL = 2.02–2.05; HL = 0.41–0.42; HW = 0.38–0.39; PRW = 0.25; PTW = 0.35; AW = 0.43–0.48. Measurements ex Prunella collaris fennelli (n = 1): TL = 1.93; HL = 0.42; HW = 0.39; PRW = 0.24; PTW = 0.35; AW = 0.45.

Female. Thoracic and abdominal chaetotaxy as in Fig. 21 ; ss present on tergopleurite VIII. Tergopleurite IX+X fused with tergopleurite XI for most of length, narrowing distally. Subgenital plate ( Fig. 26 ) roughly pentagonal; detached cross-piece reaches vulval margin only medianly and at extreme lateral ends. Vulval margin ( Fig. 26 ) gently rounded, with 4–5 long, slender vms on each side, and 5–8 short, thorn-like vss on each side; 3–5 long, slender vos on each side; distal 1 vos on detached cross-piece, median to vss. No difference in vulval chaetotaxy among specimens from different host subspecies. Measurements ex Prunella collaris nipalensis (n = 5): TL = 2.34–2.43; HL = 0.43–0.45; HW = 0.40–0.44; PRW = 0.26–0.28; PTW = 0.36–0.40; AW = 0.49–0.55. Measurements ex Prunella collaris fennelli (n = 1): TL = 2.23; HL = 0.44; HW = 0.42; PRW = 0.27; PTW = 0.37; AW = 0.48.

Type material. Ex Prunella collaris nipalensis : Holotype ♂, Sakhuwasabha District , [Kosi Zone, Eastern Region,] Nepal, Nepal, 5 Aug. 1973, HE-0663, 24602 [on reverse] ( NHML) . Paratypes: 1♀, same data as holotype ( NHML) ; 1♂, 1♀, Base Camp , elev. 4900 m, Makalu, Nepal, 21 Apr. 1973, M. Daniel, IM-14021–2 ( PMSL) ; 1♀, same locality and collector, 5 May 1973, IM-14023 ( PMSL) ; 1♀, same locality and collector, 22 Apr, 1973, IM-14024 ( PMSL) ; 1♀, same locality and collector, 28 Apr. 1973, IM-14025 ( PMSL) .

Non-types: Ex Prunella collaris fennelli : 1♂, 1♀, Wu-sheh , Taiwan [as Formosa], 1959, PF-6070, 24601 [on reverse] ( NHML) .

Etymology. The species epithet is in honour of Dr Marián Janiga (Žilina University, Slovakia), in recognition of his long and dedicated work on the biology of Prunella collaris , including its parasites. Although Turdinirmoides janigai has not been recorded in his samples from Slovakia (e.g. Janiga & Kubašková 2000), we hope that Marián will find it in future surveys in the High Tatras.

Remarks. No significant morphological differences have been found among specimens from the two host subspecies. Although Prunella collaris includes several subspecies distributed as far west as Morocco, occurring over many mountains in continental Europe ( Clements et al. 2019), no species of Turdinirmoides has been found in the long-term surveys of this host species in the Carpathians ( Janiga & Kubaškova 2000; Janiga & Mičková 2004; Janiga 2018), suggesting that the distribution of T. janigai may be limited to South Asia, as are all other known Turdinirmoides .

Figures

FIGURES 20–21. Turdinirmoides janigai n. sp. 20, male habitus, dorsal and ventral views. 21, female habitus, dorsal and ventral views.

FIGURES 22–26. Turdinirmoides janigai n. sp. 22, male head, dorsal and ventral views. 23, male genitalia, dorsal view. 24, male paramere, dorsal view. 25, male mesosome, ventral view. 26, female subgenital plate and vulva margin, ventral view. Abbreviation: pst1—parameral seta 1.

FIGURES 29–33. Turdinirmoides rozsai n. sp. 29, male head, dorsal and ventral views. 30, male genitalia, dorsal view. 31, male paramere, dorsal view. 32, male mesosome, ventral view. 33, female subgenital plate and vulva margin, ventral view. Abbreviation: gpmes—gonoporal posterior mesosomal seta.