Formicaphagus tyrannina, Sychra, Old Ì Ich, Literák, Ivan, Apek, Miroslav Č & Martin, 2006

Sychra, Old Ì Ich, Literák, Ivan, Apek, Miroslav Č & Martin, 2006, Chewing lice (Phthiraptera) from typical antbirds and ground antbirds (Passeriformes: Thamnophilidae, Formicariidae) from Costa Rica, with descriptions of three new species of the genera Formicaphagus and Myrsidea, Zootaxa 1206, pp. 47-61 : 49-50

Formicaphagus tyrannina , new species

( Figs. 1 –5)

Male (1). As in Fig. 1 . Preantennal margin slightly concave, anterior head notch narrow, 0.055 wide. Dorsal anterior plate slightly longer than wide, with a “U­shaped” extension posteriad beyond center of plate, tapering on its posterior margin (Fig. 5). Ventral carina with conspicuous guttate process. Pronotum with single lateroposterior seta on each side; each side of metanotum with lateral sides concave, with 6 marginal setae of varying lengths; thoracic sternum with 2 anterior and 3 posterior setae. Each abdominal tergite II (first apparent tergite)–III with 1 median seta, IV–V with 2 setae mediad of spiracle; VI with 3, VII with 4, VIII with only 1, IX with row of 4–5 short setae. Total sternal setae on each of II–V, 2; VI, 4. Lateral margin of II–III without setae, IV–V with 1, VI–VII with 2, and VIII with 3. Ventral outline of pleural thickening rounded. Genitalia as in Fig. 2 ; with widely separated circular parameres, 0.027 long and 0.019 wide. Dimensions: TW, 0.413; HL, 0.419; DAPL, 0.120; DAPW, 0.100; PW, 0.237; MW, 0.332; AWV, 0.466; GW, 0.060; TL, 1.493.

Female (1). As in Fig. 3 . Most features as in male, except narrower anterior head notch, 0.045 mm wide (all other females of Formicaphagus have the anterior head notch wider than in conspecific males). Each of abdominal tergites VI–VII with 2 setae mediad of spiracle, VIII with 1, and each side of IX with 2. Posterior margin of subgenital plate with almost straight lateral margins, with 19 short submarginal spiniform setae, 8 short fine marginal setae and 17 short fine setae anteriorly; sparse patch of 9 ventral setae on each side lateroposterior to subgenital plate ( Fig. 4 ). Dimensions: TW, 0.435; HL, 0.432; DAPL, 0.118; DAPW, 0.103; PW, 0.248; MW, 0.344; AWV, 0.496; TL, 1.688.

Type material. Male holotype, female allotype, ex Cercomacra tyrannina crepera Bangs , COSTA RICA: Hitoy Cerere BR, Provincia Limón (940’N, 8505’W), 26 August 2004, Literák, Č apek & Havlíček coll. Deposited in INBIO—O. Sychra CR32.

Remarks. The head shape, a dorsal plate longer than wide, and the chaetotaxy of male tergite VIII place Formicaphagus tyrannina n. sp. close to F. arnoldi Price and Clayton 1997 and F. donpetersi Price and Clayton 1997 , which were described from gnateaters ( Conopophagidae ). Formicaphagus tyrannina is distinguished from both species by the shape of the dorsal anterior head plate (Figs 5–7), the presence of guttate processes on the ventral carinae, characters of the male genitalia and by the female having a narrower anterior head notch than the male. Both sexes of F. tyrannina may be separated from those of F. arnoldi by their smaller heads and dorsal anterior head plates. Also, females of F. tyrannina are smaller than females of F. donpetersi . The male of F. tyrannina is very similar to that of F. donpetersi , but they can be separated by the shape of the pleural thickening ( F. donpetersi have ventral outline of pleural thickening approximately straight), shape of lateral side of metanotum, tergo­central setae on tergite VIII conspisously shorter (0.030 against 0.140), slightly larger parameres (0.027 x 0.019 against 0.022 x 0.016) and that of the anterior head notch. This species is described from single male and female specimens collected from single captured host individual. Further studies of chewing lice from the type host are needed to document the intraspecific variation for this louse.

Host: Gymnocichla nudiceps (Cassin) —Bare­crowned Antbird One chewing louse species was found on this host.

Figures

FIGURE 1 – 4. Formicaphagus tyrannina n. sp. 1 — male; 2 — male genitalia; 3 — female; 4 — female ventral terminalia; 5 — dorsal anterior plate; 6 — 7 Dorsal anterior plate: 6 — F. donpetersi; 7 — F. arnoldi. Scales 1 mm (Figs 1, 3), 0.01 mm (Figs 5 – 7), 0.05 mm (Figs 2, 4).