Manucodicola semiramisae Gustafsson & Bush, 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 : 274-277

Manucodicola semiramisae Gustafsson & Bush , new species

(Figs 457–462)

Type host. Phonygammus keraudrenii purpureoviolaceus (Meyer, 1885) — trumpet manucode. Type locality. Kassam Pass (Top), elev. 1300 m, Eastern Highlands District, Papua New Guinea. Other host. Phonygammus keraudrenii diamondi Cracraft, 1992 — trumpet manucode.

Diagnosis. Both sexes separated from Manucodicola acantharx n. sp. ( Figs 451-452 ) by the absence in Mn. semiramisae n. sp. of sternal plate IV (Figs 457–458). Manucodicola semiramisae often paler than Mn. acantharx . Females separated by the vulval chaetotaxy and shape of subgenital plate and males may be separated by the male genitalia (see diagnosis of Mn. acantharx above); however, additional, well preserved male specimens are needed to properly describe these species.

Description. Both sexes. Head shape, structure, and chaetotaxy as in genus description and Fig. 459 . Thoracic and abdominal segments as in genus description and Figs 457–458. Sternal plate IV absent in both sexes.

Male. Abdominal chaetotaxy as in Table 2 and Fig. 457. Male genitalia partially everted in all specimens examined, and illustrated and described only tentatively ( Fig. 461 ). Basal apodeme broadly trapezoidal. Proximal mesosome long, slender; anterior margin flat. Gonopore oval, narrowly open distally on ventral side. Mesosomal lobes fused distally, broad, quadratic, with moderate postero-lateral extensions; 2 sensilla on each side visible near anterior margin of lobes. Parameres distorted in all material examined. Measurements ex Phonygammus keraudrenii purpureoviolaceus (n = 15 except n = 7 for TL): TL = 1.47–1.61; HL = 0.45–0.48 (0.47); HW = 0.42– 0.47 (0.44); PRW = 0.28–0.30 (0.29); PTW = 0.36–0.42 (0.39); AW = 0.51–0.60 (0.56).

Female. Abdominal chaetotaxy as in Table 2 and Fig. 458. Subgenital plate ( Fig. 462 ) rounded bottle-shaped, very narrow distally. Vulval margin ( Fig. 462 ) bulging medianly, with 3–5 long, slender vms on each side, and 9–12 short, thorn-like vss on each side; only median-most vss arranged in two rows; 6–8 long, slender vos on each side; distal 1 vos median to vss. Measurements ex Phonygammus keraudrenii purpureoviolaceus (n = 16 except n = 15 for AW and n = 9 for TL): TL = 1.66–1.81; HL = 0.47–0.52 (0.49); HW = 0.45–0.49 (0.47); PRW = 0.29–0.32 (0.31); PTW = 0.40–0.44 (0.42); AW = 0.55–0.69 (0.60). Ex Ph. k. diamondi (n = 1): TL = 1.69; HL = 0.48; HW = 0.46; PRW = 0.29; PTW = 0.42; AW = 0.62.

Etymology. M. semiramisae n. sp. is named after the Assyrian queen Shammuramat (called Semiramis in Greek accounts; ruled 810–806 BCE) who, according to legend, put chastity belts on the ladies of the court to prevent them from seducing her son Adad-nirari III (ruled 806–783 BCE). While we have found no pictures of these chastity belts, the broad band of thorn-like setae submarginal to the vulval margin ( Fig. 462 ) would seem to us to be a likely, and certainty deterring, candidate.

FIGURS 457–458 Manucodicola semiramisae n. gen. & n. sp. ex Phonygammus keraudrenii purpureoviolaceus : 457, male habitus, dorsal and ventral views. 458, female habitus, dorsal and ventral views.

Type material. Ex Phonygammus keraudrenii purpureoviolaceus : Holotype ♂, Kassam Pass (Top), elev . 1300 m, Eastern Highlands District, Papua New Guinea, 25 Aug. 1967, P.H. Colman, BBM-NG-60038 ( BPBM) [marked with black dot on slide]. Paratypes: 17♂, 21♀, same data as holotype ( BPBM) ; 1♀, Wau , elev. 5000 ft, Nakata Ridge, Morobe District, Papua New Guinea, 18 Jul. 1963, P.J. Shanahan, BBM-NG-28570 ( BPBM) ; 4♂, 2♀, Wau , elev. 5000 ft, Morobe District, Papua New Guinea, 21 May 1963, P.J. Shanahan, BBM-NG-27836, BBM-NG-27845 ( BPBM) ; 5♀, Bulolo River, elev . 3000 ft, Morobe District, Papua New Guinea, 12 Jun. 1963, P.J. Shanahan, BBM-NG-28435 ( BPBM) .

Ex Phonygammus keraudrenii diamondi : 1♀, Oriomo River, elev. 20 ft, Western District, Papua New Guinea, 23 Feb. 1964, H. Clissold, BBM-NG-29660 ( BPBM).

Figures

FIGURES 451 – 452. Manucodicola acantharx n. gen. & n. sp. ex Manucodia ater ater: 451, male habitus, dorsal and ventral views. 452, female habitus, dorsal and ventral views.

FIGURES 459 – 462 Manucodicola semiramisae n. gen. & n. sp. ex Phonygammus keraudrenii purpureoviolaceus: 459, male head, dorsal and ventral views. 460, dorsal view of frons. 461, partial male genitalia, ventral view (parameres excluded, distorted in all males examined). 462, female subgenital plate and vulval margin, ventral view.