Couala dodekopter 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 : 308-311

Couala dodekopter Gustafsson & Bush , new species

( Figs 512–517 )

Type host. Coua cristata pyropyga Grandidier, 1867 —crested coua . Type locality. Betioky, Atsimo-Andrefana Region, Madagascar.

Diagnosis. Couala dodekopter n. sp. is not particularly similar to either of the other two species in the genus, and can be separated from these by the following charaters: temporal angle of Cl. goniodes and Cl. angulata ( Fig. 520 ) acute, whereas that of Cl. dodekopter ( Fig. 514 ) is right or slightly obtuse; marginal carina is shallowly displaced at the osculum in Cl. goniodes and Cl. angulata ( Fig. 520 ), but deeply displaced in Cl. dodokopter ( Fig. 514 ); the mts 2 is ventral, curved, and very thick in the former two species ( Fig. 520 ), but dorsal, thorn-like, and straight in Cl. dodekopter ( Fig. 514 ). Abdominal and thoracic characters are also more similar between Cl. angulata ( Figs 518–519 ) and Cl. goniodes than either of them are to Cl. dodekopter ( Figs 512–513 ). For instance, the female abdomen is short and wide in both Cl. goniodes and Cl. angulata ( Fig. 519 ), and the ventral sections of the tergopleurites of both these species are large and rectangular, whereas the female abdomen in Cl. dodekopter ( Fig. 513 ) is more elongated and slender, and the ventral sections of the tergopleurites are more triangular.

Description. Both sexes. Head shape, structure, and chaetotaxy as in genus description and Fig. 514 . Temples somewhat angular, occiput more or less flat. Marginal and marginal temporal carinae broad. Preantennal, preocular, and post-ocular nodi large. Ventral carina slender anterior to pulvinus, and clearly continuous with marginal carina. Coni long, but not reaching beyond distal margin of scape. Lateral margin of antennal canal clearly demarcated, reaching posterior margin of head between mts 2–3; median margin of canal not clear anteriorly; mts 2 spine-like, not curved, ventral or marginal. Gular plate spade-shaped. Thoracic and abdominal segments as in genus description and Figs 512–513 .

Male. Subgenital plate broadly trapezoidal. Abdominal chaetotaxy as in Table 2 and Fig. 512 . Male genitalia distinctive ( Figs 515–516 ). Basal apodeme long, slender. Mesosome fused to basal apodeme, proximal mesosome visible only as arched thickening. Gonopore large ( Fig. 516 ), wider than long, widely open distally. Mesosomal lobes fused to parameres and cannot be distinguished from these; 2 ames sensilla on each side lateral to gonopore; 2 pmes sensilla on each side postero-lateral to gonopore. Parameral blades divergent, shaped as in Fig. 515 ; pst1–2 as in genus description. Measurements ex Coua cristata pyzopyga (n = 10 except n = 9 for TL): TL = 1.44–1.54; HL = 0.39–0.41 (0.40); HW = 0.39–0.41 (0.40); PRW = 0.24–0.26 (0.25); PTW = 0.35–0.39 (0.37); AW = 0.49– 0.58 (0.53).

Female. Abdominal chaetotaxy as in Table 2 and Fig. 513 . Subgenital plate ( Fig. 517 ) trapezoidal, reaching vulval margin but not flaring into cross-piece. Vulval margin ( Fig. 517 ) widely bulging medianly; 4–5 stout, thornlike vms on each side, and 2–3 minute, slender vss on each side, restricted to median section; 2–3 long, slender vos; 1 long, slender vos median to vms on each side. Measurements ex Coua cristata pyzopyga (n = 7): TL = 1.63–1.83; HL = 0.41–0.44; HW = 0.43–0.46; PRW = 0.25–0.27; PTW = 0.37–0.42; AW = 0.58–0.68.

Etymology. The species epithet is formed by Greek “ dódeka ” for “twelve” and “ pteron ” for “wing”, referring to the wing-like folded pleurites on abdominal segments III–VIII ( Figs 512–513 ).

Type material. Ex Coua cristata pyropyga : Holotype ♂, Betioky, [ Atsimo-Andrefana Region ], Madagascar, 29 Nov. 1965, C.[P.] Blanc, Brit. Mus. 1974-513 ( NHML) . Paratypes: 3♂, 4♀, same data as holotype ( NHML) ; 6♂, 3♀, “ Madagascar Sud ”, Madagascar , 20 Jun. 1965, C.P. Blanc, Brit . Mus. 1974-513 ( NHML) .

Figures

FIGURES 512 – 513. Couala dodekopter n. gen. & n. sp. ex Coua cristata pyropyga: 512, male habitus, dorsal and ventral views. 513, female habitus, dorsal and ventral views.

FIGURES 514 – 517. Couala dodekopter n. gen. & n. sp. ex Coua cristata pyropyga: 514, male head, dorsal and ventral views. 515, male genitalia, dorsal view. 516, distal male genitalia, ventral view. 517, female subgenital plate and vulval margin, ventral view.

FIGURES 520 – 523 Couala angulata (Piaget, 1880) n. comb. ex Coua caerulea: 520, male head, dorsal and ventral views. 521, male genitalia, dorsal view. 522, male mesosome and parameres, ventral view. 523, female subgenital plate and vulval margin, ventral view.

FIGURE 518 – 519 Couala angulata (Piaget, 1880) n. comb. ex Coua caerulea: 518, male habitus, dorsal and ventral views. 519, female habitus, dorsal and ventral views.