Sturnidoecus, 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 : 250

Sturnidoecus mon Gustafsson & Bush, new species

( Figs 406–414 )

Type host. Euplectes hordeaceus ( Linnaeus, 1758) — black-winged bishop. Type locality. Lovi , Mole, Northern Region, Ghana.

Diagnosis. Sturnidoecus mon n. sp. is the only known species in its group, and is separated from all other Sturnidoecus by the shape of the male genitalia ( Figs 389 , 411–413 ). Apart from St. mon, the only Sturnidoecus species-groups with largely flat posterior margins of the mesosome are the St. porphyrogenitus ( Fig. 391 ) and St. simpl ex ( Fig. 394 ) species-groups, however apart from this superficial similarity, these three species groups are very different in the male genitalia. Sturnidoecus mon is the only known species in the genus with a clearly defined, subterminal gonopore ( Fig. 410 ), an irregular, somewhat frayed-looking anterior margin of the proximal mesosome, and paired ventral rectangular flaps of the anterior mesosomal lobes. Females can only be distinguished from other species of Sturnidoecus by the median bulge of the vulval margin ( Fig. 412 ).

Description. Both sexes. Head shape, structure, and chaetotaxy as in genus description and Fig. 408 ; as1 absent. Preantennal nodi not broader than marginal carinae, not distinct. Coni slender, reaching just beyond distal margin of scapes. Preocular nodi small, square-shaped. Postocular nodi not distinct; pos located at posterior margin of eye. Gular plate broad, very angular. Thoracic and abdominal segments as in genus description and Figs 406– 407 . Posterior margin of pterothorax rounded in both sexes. Sternal plates large, present on segments II–VI in both sexes.

Male. Abdominal chaetotaxy as in Table 11 and Fig. 406 . Male genitalia as in genus and species group descriptions and Figs 409–411 . Measurements ex Euplectes hordeaceus (n = 5): TL = 1.14–1.22; HL = 0.38–0.41; HW = 0.37–0.42; PRW = 0.21–0.23; PTW = 0.30–0.36; AW = 0.44–0.47.

Female. Abdominal chaetotaxy as in Table 11 and Fig. 407 . Subgenital plate roughly triangular, lateral margins irregular distally ( Fig. 412 ). Vulval margin bulging distinctly in median section ( Fig. 412 ), with 3–4 short slender vms on bulging section on each side, and 8–10 thorn-like vss on each side; 5–7 long, slender vos on each side; distal 1–2 vos median to vss. Measurements ex Euplectes hordeaceus (n = 2): TL = 1.33–1.41; HL = 0.42– 0.44; HW = 0.42–0.43; PRW = 0.23 –0.24; PTW = 0.36–0.38; AW = 0.52–0.59.

Etymology. The species epithet is derived from Japanese “ mon ” for “gate”, as the overall shape of the mesosome and parameres ( Fig. 409 ) resemble the stylized shape of the Japanese torii gates.

Type material. Ex Euplectes hordeaceus : Holotype ♂, Lovi , Mole [National Park], Northern Region, Ghana, 26 Aug. 1968, Oxford University Expedition, Brit. Mus. 1969-32 ( NHML) . Paratypes: 9♂, 4♀, same data as holotype ( NHML) .

Figures

FIGURES 406 – 407. Sturnidoecus mon n. sp. ex Euplectes hordeaceus: 406, male habitus, dorsal and ventral views. 407, female habitus, dorsal and ventral views.

FIGURES 408 – 412. Sturnidoecus mon n. sp. ex Euplectes hordeaceus: 408, male head, dorsal and ventral views. 409, male genitalia, dorsal view. 410, male mesosome, ventral view. 411, male paramere, dorsal view. 412, female subgenital plate and vulval margin, ventral view.

FIGURES 413 – 414. Sturnidoecus porphyrogenitus n. sp. ex Cinnyricinclus leucogaster verreauxi: 413, male habitus, dorsal and ventral views. 414, female habitus, dorsal and ventral views.

FIGURES 384 – 389. Dorsal views of Sturnidoecus male genitalia representing all species groups (setae transposed to dorsal side for clarity): 384, Sturnidoecus australafricanus n. sp. (St. australafricanus group). 385, Sturnidoecus basilewskyi Tendeiro, 1963 (St. basilewskyi group). 386, Sturnidoecus clayae Ansari, 1968 (St. clayae group). 387, Sturnidoecus clayae Ansari, 1968 (part of ventral view of mesosome showing the triangular extensions). 388, Sturnidoecus meinertzhageni Ansari, 1968 (St. meinertzhageni group). 389, Sturnidoecus mon n. sp. (St. mon group).

FIGURES 390 – 395. Dorsal views of Sturnidoecus male genitalia representing all species groups (setae transposed to dorsal side for clarity): 390, Sturnidoecus pastoris (Denny, 1842) (St. pastoris group). 391, Sturnidoecus porphyrogenitus n. sp. (St. porphyrogenitus group). 392, Sturnidoecus senegalensis (Rudow, 1896) (St. senegalensis group). 393, Sturnidoecus senegalensis (Rudow, 1896) (part of ventral view of mesosome showing the two ventral hooks). 394, Sturnidoecus simplex (Kellogg, 1896) (St. simplex group). 395 Sturnidoecus somnodraco n. sp. (St. somnodraco group).