Meropsiella apiastri ( Denny, 1842 ), 2017

Bush, Sarah E., 2017, Morphological revision of the hyperdiverse Brueelia - complex (Insecta: Phthiraptera: Ischnocera: Philopteridae) with new taxa, checklists and generic key, Zootaxa 4313 (1), pp. 1-443 : 288-293

Meropsiella apiastri ( Denny, 1842)

( Figs 479–485 )

Nirmus apiastri Denny, 1842: 52 .

Degeeriella apiastri ( Denny, 1842) ; Harrison, 1916: 108. Meropsiella apiastri ( Denny, 1842) ; Conci, 1941b: 104. Brueelia apiastri ( Denny, 1842) ; Hopkins & Clay, 1952: 53.

Type host. Merops apiaster Linnaeus, 1758 — European bee-eater. Type locality. Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.

Description. Both sexes. Head shape, structure, and chaetotaxy as in genus description and Fig. 481 . Bulge median of mts 3 slight. Thoracic and abdominal segments as in genus description and Figs 479–480 ; 1 seta on each side of metasternum.

Male. Abdominal chaetotaxy as in Table 2 and Fig. 479 . Male genitalia ( Figs 483–485 ) unique within genus and the Brueelia -complex. Basal apodeme ( Fig. 483 ) roughly trapezoidal. Proximal mesosome square-shaped. Gonopore ( Fig. 484 ) ventral, narrowly open distally, with large, roughly Y-shaped thickening on each side. Mesosomal lobes rounded, fused distally. Moderate lateral nodi on ventral surface of mesosome, not reaching distal end of mesosome; 2 pmes microsetae on each side on these nodi. Parameral heads ( Fig. 485 ) slender, bifid. Parameral blades gently curved around mesosome, slightly elongated distally; pst1–2 sensilla, proximal to elongation of parameres. Measurements ex Merops apiaster (n = 9): TL = 1.41–1.53; HL = 0.40–0.41; HW = 0.34– 0.36; PRW = 0.22–0.24; PTW = 0.33-0.35; AW = 0.42–0.46.

Female. Abdominal chaetotaxy as in Table 2 and Fig. 480 . Subgenital plate ( Fig. 482 ) flares distally, but does not reach vulval margin, forming wide cross-piece that broadens laterally. Vulval margin ( Fig. 482 ) with distinct median bulge; 1–3 slender vms and 2–3 thorn-like vss situated on each side of bulge, mixed; 3–5 long, slender vos on each side; vos do not approach vss. Measurements ex Merops apiaster (n = 11): TL = 1.76–1.95 (1.87); HL = 0.43–0.47 (0.45); HW = 0.36–0.40 (0.38); PRW = 0.22–0.26 (0.24); PTW = 0.35–0.39 (0.37); AW = 0.50–0.57 (0.53).

Type material. Ex Merops apiaster : Holotype ♂, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, Denny Collection, BM 1952-98 ( NHML).

Additional material examined (non-types)

Ex Merops apiaster : 1♀, Agigea, [Constata County,] Romania, 2 Jul. 1958, I. Bechet, 22/a/5, 22039 on reverse ( OSUS) ; 1♂, 1♀, Israel , 23 May 1968, C-2194 ( OSUS) ; 1♂, 1♀, “ Desert ”, Al Magrah, [Matruh Governate,] Egypt, 15 May 1975, HH8277 ( OSUS) ; 1♀, Paralimni , [Famagusta District,] Cyprus, 12 May 1968, CYS-385 ( OSUS) ; 1♂, Luanshya River, Zambia, 13 Oct. 1951, E.L. Haydoek, ML/30, Brit. Mus. 1952-149 ( NHML) ; 1♂, Slovakia , 24 Jul. 1949, F. Balát, BM 1950-389 ( NHML) ; 2♂, 14♀, Afghanistan, May 1937, R. Meinertzhagen, 10006 and 10086–91 ( NHML) ; 4♂, 6♀, Quetta , Afghanistan, May 1937, R. Meinertzhagen, 2746 ( NHML) ; 3♂, 11♀, Kabul, Afghanistan, Apr. 1937, R. Meinertzhagen, 9687 ( NHML) ; 1♂, 1♀, Johannesburg , Transvaal, South Africa, 15 Nov. 1968, J. Ledger, Brit. Mus. 1972-382 ( NHML) ; 1♂, 1♀, “ Asia Minor ”, Turkey, May 1935, R.Meinertzhagen, 3885 ( NHML) ; 2♂, 3♀, Palestine, Apr. 1953, R. Meinertzhagen, BM1953-225 ( NHML) ; 4♂, 3♀, Defilia , near Figuig, Morocco, 12 Apr. 1966, A. Hutson, Brit. Mus. 1966-241 ( NHML) ; 3♂, 1♀, “ Southern Spain ”, SPAIN, 21 Apr. 1961, Varma No. A 252, Brit. Mus. 1962-325 ( NHML) ; 1♂, 3♀, Yinna [?], Mbaraza [?], Uganda, 11 Nov. 1934, G.H.E. Hopkins ( NHML) ; 1♂, 1♀, “ Stavros ”, unknown locality, 23 May 1918, J. Waterston, BM1930-232 ( NHML) ; 1♀, Khuta Maji , Vwaza Marsh, Vwaza Wildlife Reserve, Malawi, 16 Oct. 2009, Jason D. Weckstein, MLW-3753, FMNH 467914 , FMNH 0 0 0 0 0 29 0 33, DNA voucher for sequence Brap. 1.25.2011.1 ( FMNH) ; 1♀, Metkovic , Croatia, 20 May 1963, A. Lesinger, 7554 ( PMSL) ; 2♂, 1♀, Metkovic , Croatia, 15 Oct. 1964, A. Lesinger, 9791–9802 ( PMSL) ; 1♂, Metkovic , Croatia, 18 May 1968, A. Lesinger, 11400 ( PMSL) ; 1♀, Bitola, Macedonia, 15 Aug. 1928, S. Brelih, 2469 ( PMSL) ; 1♂, Red Sea, SUDAN, 9 Sep. 1960, S. Brelih, 3225 ( PMSL) .

Ex “ Merops aegyptius ”: 1♀, Wolffhügel, IN1278/69 (MFNB).

Remarks. In the material we have examined, the parameres are not shaped as in Williams (1981: fig. 6), but are distally elongated. William’s (1981: figs 4, 5) illustrations also lack the dorsal preantennal suture, which is present in our material examined.

Figures

FIGURES 479 – 480. Meropsiella apiastri (Denny, 1842) ex Merops apiaster: 479, male habitus, dorsal and ventral views. 480, female habitus, dorsal and ventral views.

FIGURES 481 – 482. Meropsiella apiastri (Denny, 1842) ex Merops apiaster: 481, male head, dorsal and ventral views. 482, female subgenital plate and vulval margin, ventral view.

FIGURES 483 – 491. Meropsiella spp. male genitalia. Meropsiella apiastri (Denny, 1842): 483, dorsal view. 484, mesosome, ventral view. 485, paramere, dorsal view. Meropsiella bullockoda (Williams, 1981) n. comb. 486: dorsal view. 487, mesosome, ventral view. 488, paramere, dorsal view. Meropsiella cf. erythropteri (Piaget, 1885) n. comb. ex Merops philippinicus: 489, dorsal view. 490, mesomere, ventral view. 491, paramere, dorsal view.