Hecatrishula biguttata ( Kellogg & Paine, 1914 ) 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 : 92-95

Hecatrishula biguttata ( Kellogg & Paine, 1914) n. comb.

( Figs 138–145 )

Nirmus biguttatus Kellogg & Paine, 1914: 234 .

Degeeriella biguttata ( Kellogg & Paine, 1914) ; Harrison, 1915: 109. Brueelia biguttata ( Kellogg & Paine, 1914) ; Hopkins & Clay, 1952: 53. Corvonirmus biguttatus ( Kellogg & Paine, 1914) ; Złotorzycka, 1997: 189.

Type host. Pyrrhocorax graculus digitatus Ehrenberg, 1833 — yellow-billed chough [as Pyrrhocorax graculus ].

Type locality. Gilgit, Sarhad and Little Pamir , Northwest Frontier of India; Khambajong , Tibet.

Other hosts. Pyrrhocorax graculus graculus ( Linnaeus, 1758) — yellow-billed chough. Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax erythroramphos (Vieillot, 1817) [Ref.: Ansari 1956d: 392, as Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax ]— red-billed chough. Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax himalayanus (Gould, 1862) [Ref.: Ansari 1956d: 392]— red-billed chough. Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax docilis (S.G. Gmelin, 1774) [Ref.: Ansari 1956d: 302, as Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax pontif ex from Persia and Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax from Crete]— red-billed chough.

Description. Both sexes. Head shape, structure, and chaetotaxy as in genus description and Fig. 140 . Marginal carina wide, irregular. Ventral carina narrow but visible anterior to pulvinus, not clearly continuous with marginal carina. Preantennal nodi slender. Coni wide but short. Pre- and postocular nodi moderate in size; pos on anterior margin of postocular nodi. Gular plate large, rugose medianly, with slight lateral projections. Pigmentation almost uniformly brown. Thoracic and abdominal segments as in genus and subgenus descriptions and Figs 138–139 ; ppss on postero-lateral corners. Pigmentation almost uniformly brown.

Male. Scape ( Fig. 140 ) longer than in female ( Fig. 141 ), slightly swollen. Abdominal chaetotaxy as in Table 2 and Fig. 138 . Male genitalia typical for genus ( Fig. 142 ). Basal apodeme rounded rectangular. Proximal mesosome broad, rounded. Gonopore ( Fig. 143 ) much elongated, narrowly open distally. Small U-shaped ventral thickening anterior to gonopore. Mesosomal lobes extended laterally, overlapping parameres. Median margin of lobes heavily papillate ( Fig. 143 ). 3 stout pmes on each side of gonopore. Parameral heads 4-fingered ( Fig. 144 ). Parameral blades bent around mesosome, slightly elongated distally; pst1 sensillus, near distal tip; pst2 microseta, lateral near distal tip. Measurements ex Pyrrhocorax graculus graculus (n = 2): TL = 1.36–1.47; HL = 0.42–0.43; HW = 0.40– 0.41; PRW = 0.23–0.25; PTW = 0.35–0.43; AW = 0.49–0.50.

Female. Scape not swollen ( Fig. 141 ). Abdominal chaetotaxy as in Table 2 and Fig. 139 . Subgenital plate broadly triangular ( Fig. 145 ), with only narrow median section approaching or reaching vulval margin. Vulval margin ( Fig. 145 ) gently rounded, with 7–8 long, slender vms on each side, and 4–6 stout, spine-like vss on each side; 4–5 slender vos on each side; the distal 2 vos median to vss. Measurements ex Pyrrhocorax graculus graculus (n = 12): TL = 1.51–1.88 (1.71); HL = 0.44–0.48 (0.46); HW = 0.41–0.46 (0.43); PRW = 0.23–0.28 (0.25); PTW = 0.37–0.45 (0.41); AW = 0.49–0.65 (0.57). Ex P. g. digitatus (n = 2): TL = 1.65–1.83; HL = 0.46–0.47; HW = 0.42– 0.46; PRW = 0.25–0.27; PTW = 0.40–0.44; AW = 0.58–0.65.

Material examined (non-types). Ex Pyrrhocorax graculus graculus : 5♂, 9♀, “Pyrenées”, Apr. 1932, R. Meinertzhagen, 822, 3013–4 (NHML) [one slide contains one female Hecatrishula docilis ]. 1♂, 4♀, Ibach, Schwyz, Switzerland, 12 Dec. 1965, W. Büttiker, 114-1–2 (NHML); 1♂, 1♀, Andermatt, Uri, Switzerland, Apr. 1942, W. Büttiker, 314, Brit. Mus. 1966-653 (NHML); 1♀, Julijske Alpe, Slovenia, 5 Jul. 1955, S. Brelih, 499 (PMSL); 1♂, 4♀, Kaminske Alpe, Slovenia, 29 Mar. 1953, S. Brelih, 200, 1557–8, 2476–7 (PMSL); 1♀, Julijske Alpe, Slovenia, 5 Jul. 1955, S. Brelih, 2555 (NMNH).

Ex Pyrrhocorax graculus digitatus [as Pyrrhocorax graculus forsythi ]: 2♀, Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir State, India, Apr. 1925, 3015 (NHML) [slide contains one male Hecatrishula docilis ].

Remarks. Kellogg & Paine (1914: 234) originally described Brueelia biguttatus from Graculus graculus and Nucifraga multipunctata from North-West India. Material from the latter host species was subsequently described as a separate species, Degeeriella multipunctata Clay, 1936 . The correct subspecies of Pyrrhocorax graculus in India is P. graculus digitatus , not P. graculus graculus as stated by Clay (1936: 906) and followed by Price et al. (2003: 153).

Hecatrishula biguttata and He. docilis both occur on the same host species, and some slides examined from a single host contain both species, suggesting that they even occur on the same host individual. Although there appears to be no geographical structure to their distributions, our material examined of both species is widely scattered and rarely extensive enough from any locality to draw any definite conclusions. Whether these two morphologically very distinct forms are actually two morphs of the same species, or two different species is not known, and should be established genetically. One possibility is that these taxa are in the early stages of morphological differentiation into different ecomorphs.

Figures

FIGURES 138 – 139. Hecatrishula biguttata (Kellogg & Paine, 1914) n. comb. ex Pyrrhocorax graculus graculus: 138, male habitus, dorsal and ventral views. 139, female habitus, dorsal and ventral views.

FIGURES 140 – 145. Hecatrishula biguttata (Kellogg & Paine, 1914) n. comb. ex Pyrrhocorax graculus graculus: 140, male head, dorsal and ventral views. 141, female antenna, ventral view. 142, male genitalia, dorsal view. 143, mesosome, ventral view. 144, paramere, dorsal view. 145, female subgenital plate and vulval margin, ventral view.