Nemuus 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 : 207-208

Nemuus Gustafsson & Bush , new genus

Type species. Nemuus imperator new species

Diagnosis. Nemuus n. gen. ( Figs 338–353 ) and Corvonirmus ( Figs 319–326 ) share the following characters: head broad, short, with wide, rounded temples; as3 absent; antennae sexually dimorphic; at least sternal plates IV–VI in both sexes with accessory sts; ads comparatively long; preocular nodi median to eye, and eye protruding. However, these two genera can be separated by the following characters: female subgenital plate flares to cross-piece or lateral submarginal extensions in Corvonirmus ( Fig. 326 ), but does not reach vulval margin in Nemuus ( Figs 345 , 353 ), and the posterior margin of the subgenital plate is deeply indented medianly in Nemuus , which is never the case in Corvonirmus ; tergopleural plates reach ventral surface of abdomen, and are not reduced medianly in Nemuus ( Figs 338–339 , 346–347 ), whereas in Corvonirmus ( Figs 319–320 ) the tergopleural plates do not reach lateral margins of abdomen, and are generally much reduced in size; marginal carina interrupted medianly and dorsal preantennal suture present in Nemuus ( Figs 340 , 348 ), but marginal carina complete and dorsal preantennal suture absent in Corvonirmus ( Fig. 321 ); female tergopleurites IX+X and XI fused in Nemuus ( Figs 339 , 347 ) but not in Corvonirmus ( Fig. 320 ); for differences in abdominal chaetotaxy, see Table 2. Male genitalia of the two species of Nemuus are dissimilar, and adequate comparions with those of Corvonirmus cannot presently be made.

Nemuus is superficially similar to Melibrueelia (see Valim & Palma 2015 figs 1, 2). Both genera have comparatively broad heads with short preantennal areas, medianly interrupted marginal carinae, and sexually dimorphic antennae. However, there is no premarginal carina in Nemuus ( Figs 340 , 348 ) as there is in Melibrueelia , and in Melibrueelia the female subgenital plate reaches the vulval margin and flares into a broad cross-piece there, but does not do so in Nemuus ( Figs 345 , 353 ). Furthermore, the male genitalia of the two genera are very different. The proximal mesomere in Melibrueelia is narrow, but wide in Nemuus ( Figs 343 , 351 ). In both genera the mesosomal lobes are fused distally, and the gonopore is ventral, but in Melibrueelia the distal mesosome is small and triangular and is proportionally much larger and more complicated in Nemuus ( Figs 342–344 , 350–352 ).

Description. Both sexes. Head rectangular to slightly pentagonal ( Figs 340 , 348 ). Marginal carina widely interrupted medianly on dorsal side, from just posterior to dsms; premarginal carina absent. Frons hyaline. Ventral carinae not continuous with marginal carina. Ventral anterior plate present, crescent-shaped. Dorsal preantennal suture continuous with hyaline margin, reaching ads, but does not separate dorsal anterior plate from main head plate entirely. Head setae as in Figs 340 , 348 ; as3 absent. Coni small. Antennae sexually dimorphic, with male scapes much larger than those of females. Postocular nodi large, elongated, and curling around the eye to almost meet the posterior margin of the preocular nodi dorsally, and fused with preocular nodi ventrally. Eyes protruding. Temporal carinae not visible; mts 3 only macrosetae. Gular plate triangular.

Prothorax ( Figs 338–339 , 346–347 ) trapezoidal, widening posteriorly. ppss near postero-lateral corner, but median to spiracle opening. Proepimera slender, curling around coxae II. Pterothorax rounded pentagonal; lateral margins moderately divergent; posterior margin convergent to a rounded median point; mms moderately separated medianly. Meso- and metasterna not fused; 1 seta on postero-lateral corner on each side of each plate. Metepisterna with median ends typically slightly widened, blunt. Leg chaetotaxy as in Fig. 25 except fI-p2, fI-v4 absent.

Abdomen ( Figs 338–339 , 346–347 ) broadly oval in both sexes. Tergopleurites rectangular to slightly triangular; tergopleurites II–IX+X in male and tergopleurites II–VIII in female moderately divided medianly. Tergopleurites IX+X and XI partially fused in females. Male genital opening associated with small tergopleural plate. Sternal plates rectangular, wide. Abdominal chaetotaxy as in Table 2. Accessory sts present on at least segments III–VI in both sexes. Males with 2–3 aps on most segments. Pleural incrassations slight. Re-entrant heads small. Male subgenital plate triangular with sinuous lateral margins, reaching distal end of abdomen. Female submarginal plate triangular, with deep median indentation in posterior end; plate does not approach vulval margin ( Figs 345 , 353 ). Vulval margin ( Figs 345 , 353 ) with few slender vms, numerous thorn-like vss. vos follow lateral margins of subgenital plate; distal vos approaching or situated median to vss.

Male genitalia ( Figs 342–344 , 350–352 ) different markedly between the two species. Basal apodeme ( Figs 342 , 350 ) rectangular. Proximal mesosome ( Figs 343 , 351 ) rectangular. Gonopore open distally, associated with distinct, species-specific thickenings laterally and anteriorly. Mesosomal lobes elongated and large, extending far posterior to gonopores. Distal parts of lobes thickened; 2 ames microsetae on each side submarginally or marginally anterior to gonopore; 2 pmes microsetae on each sidemarginally or submarginally distal to gonopore. Parameres ( Figs 344 , 352 ) differing between species; pst1 sensillus, central; pst2 microseta, submarginal or central.

Host distribution. Known only from members of the host genus Artamus Vieillot, 1816 (Artamidae) . In addition to the two species described below, we have seen females belonging to this genus from Artamus leucorhynchus leucopygialis Gould, 1842 (unpub. data).

Geographical range. Known from Thailand, the Philippines, and New Guinea.

Etymology. The genus name is derived from Japanese “ nemui ”, for “sleepy”, referring to the the post- and preocular nodi almost completely enclosing the middle of the eye, giving the appearance that members of this genus are about to close their eyes ( Figs 340 , 348 ). Gender: masculine.

Remarks. Nemuus was not represented in the phylogeny of Bush et al. (2016), and based on morphology, no other genus treated here appears to be very closely related to Nemuus . However, it shows some similarities with Corvonirmus (see above) and Melibrueelia .

Included species

* Nemuus hoedhri new species * Nemuus imperator new species

Figures

FIGURES 25. Dorso-ventral views of coxae I – III, trochanters I – III, and femora I – III, showing terminology of the leg setae used here. Other parts of the thorax removed for clarity. Setae situated marginally are illustrated and named on both dorsal (lefthand) and ventral (right-hand) sides. Terminology for individual seta as used in the text obtained by combining the leg segment (larger font) and the setal name (smaller font). Abbreviations: a 1 – 5, anterior setae 1 – 5; cI – III, coxae I – III; d 1 – 3, dorsal setae 1 – 3; dm 1 – 4, distal marginal setae 1 – 4; fI – III, femur I – III; p 1 – 3, posterior setae 1 – 3; s 1 – 6, sensilla 1 – 6; tI – III, trochanter I – III; v 1 – 4, ventral setae 1 – 4.

FIGURES 338 – 339. Nemuus imperator n. gen. & n. sp. ex Artamus maximus: 338, male habitus, dorsal and ventral views. 339, female habitus, dorsal and ventral views.

FIGURES 340 – 345. Nemuus imperator n. gen. & n. sp. ex Artamus maximus: 340, male head, dorsal and ventral views. 341, female antenna, ventral view. 342, male genitalia, dorsal view. 343, male mesosome, ventral view. 344, male paramere, dorsal view. 345, female subgenital plate and vulval margin, ventral view.

FIGURES 346 – 347. Nemuus hoedhri n. gen. & n. sp. ex Artamus fuscus: 346, male habitus, dorsal and ventral views. 347, female habitus, dorsal and ventral views.

FIGURES 348 – 353. Nemuus hoedhri n. gen. & n. sp. ex Artamus fuscus: 348, male head, dorsal and ventral views. 349, female antenna, ventral view. 350, male genitalia, dorsal view. 351, male mesosome and parameral heads, ventral view. 352, male paramere, dorsal view. 353, female subgenital plate and vulval margin, ventral view.

FIGURES 319 – 320. Corvonirmus uncinosus (Burmeister, 1838) ex Corvus cornix cornix: 319 male habitus, dorsal and ventral views. 320 female habitus, dorsal and ventral views.

FIGURES 321 – 326. Corvonirmus uncinosus (Burmeister, 1838) ex Corvus cornix cornix: 321, male head, dorsal and ventral views. 322, female antenna, ventral view. 323, male genitalia, dorsal view. 324, male mesosome, ventral view. 325, male paramere, dorsal view. 326, female subgenital plate and vulval margin, ventral view.