Aratricerca cirithra 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 : 109-112

Aratricerca cirithra Gustafsson & Bush , new species

( Figs 168–174 )

Type host. Ptiloprora guisei guisei (De Vis, 1894) — rufous-backed honeyeater.

Type locality. 12 miles S of Edie Creek, elev. 2405 m, Bulldog Road , Morobe District, Papua New Guinea.

Diagnosis. Aratricerca cirithra n. sp. is superficially similar to members of Turdinirmus , with which it shares the following characters: dorsal preantennal suture reaches ads and dsms; ventral anterior plate present; parameral blades irregularly oval; female subgenital plate approaches vulval margin, but does not flare. However, pns and pos are absent in Aratricerca n. gen. ( Fig. 170 ) but present in Turdinirmus ( Figs 184 , 191 ), and while the dorsal preantennal suture interrupts the lateral margin of the head in Ar. cirithra , this is not the case in Turdinirmus . Abdominal chaetotaxy is similar between the two genera, but ps and absent on segment III in Turdinirmus , but present in Ar. cirithra ( Table 2). For differences between Aratricerca and the morphologically similar Turdinirmoides n. gen., see genus description.

Description. Both sexes. Head shape, structure, and chaetotaxy as in genus description and Fig. 170 . Dorsal preantennal suture in some specimens medianly continuous, but section median to ads considerably narrower than lateral sections; this may be a mounting issue. Ventral anterior plate diffuse posteriorly. Ventral carinae with fingers protruding into clypeo-labral suture, in some specimens with distinct thickening medianly. Thickening on lateral section of dorsal anterior plate may be remnants of marginal carina. Preantennal head darker than postantennal head. Thoracic and abdominal segments as in genus description and Figs 168–169 . Sternal plates and median section of tergopleurites translucent; lateral tergopleurites and pleurites with dark brown pigmentation. Pleurites interlock to form “rails” along abdominal sides.

Male. Only sternal plate II with antero-lateral thickening ( Fig. 168 ). Abdominal chaetotaxy as in Table 2 and Fig. 168 . Dorsal setae on tail absent in some specimens, including holotype. Basal apodeme ( Fig. 171 ) bluntly oval. Proximal mesosome bulbous. Gonopore ( Fig. 172 ) as subparallel, sublateral hook-shaped sclerites, open distally and proximally. Mesosomal lobes with angular process at about half-length; distal to this hyaline discs with diffusely rugose distal margins; 2 pmes visible on each lobe lateral to gonopore. Parameral heads ( Fig. 173 ) narrow, bifid. Parameral blades lobe-like; pst1 sensillus, located centrally in distal part; pst2 absent. Measurements ex Ptiloprora guisei guisei (n = 3 except n = 2 for AW): TL = 2.30–2.40; HL = 0.41–0.43; HW = 0.36–0.37; PRW = 0.25–0.28; PTW = 0.25–0.28; AW = 0.40–0.46.

Female. Sternal plates II–III with antero-lateral thickenings, more prominent on sternal plate II ( Fig. 169 ). Abdominal chaetotaxy as in Table 2 and Fig. 169 . Subgenital plate ( Fig. 174 ) rectangular with distal median process that approaches but does not reach vulval margin. Vulval margin ( Fig. 174 ) gently rounded, with 5–6 short, slender vms on each side, and 7–9 short, thorn-like vss on each side; 5–7 long, slender vos; distal 2–3 vos median or even distal to vss. Measurements ex Ptiloprora guisei guisei (n = 9 except n = 7 for TL and n = 6 for AW): TL = 2.56–2.80; HL = 0.41–0.45; HW = 0.36–0.41; PRW = 0.25–0.29; PTW = 0.26–0.30; AW = 0.40–0.51.

Etymology. The species epithet is derived from Greek “ kiríthra ” for “honeycomb”, but Latinized. This refers to the shape of the pterothorax.

Type material. Ex Ptiloprora guisei guisei : Holotype ♂, 12 miles S of Edie Creek, elev. 2405 m, Bulldog Road, Morobe District, Papua New Guinea, 3 Jul. 1966, J. Wilkes, BBM-NG-52268 ( BPBM) . Paratypes: 1♀, Mount Kaindi , elev. 2300 m, Morobe District, Papua New Guinea, 6 Jul. 1967, A.C. Ziegler, BBM-NG-53460 ( BPBM) ; 2♀, Bulldog Road , elev. 2850 m, Morobe District, Papua New Guinea, 30 May 1962, J.H. Sedlacek, BBM-NG-20131 ( BPBM) ; 3♂, 4♀, 6 miles from Edie Creek , elev. 2200 m, Bulldog Road, Morobe District, Papua New Guinea, 4 Dec. 1970, A.B. Mirza, BBM-NG-99467, 99490, 99492 ( BPBM) ; 1♀, same locality and collector as previous, 6 Dec. 1970, BBM-NG-99511 ( BPBM) ; 1♀, 20 miles SW of Kabwum, elev. 2880 m, Saruwaged Range , Morobe District, Papua New Guinea, 1 Aug. 1966, R.M. Mitchell & J. Wilkes, BBM-NG-52628 ( BPBM) .

Figures

FIGURES 168 – 169. Aratricerca cirithrus n. gen. & n. sp. ex Ptiloprora guisei guisei: 168, male habitus, dorsal and ventral views. 169, female habitus, dorsal and ventral views.

FIGURES 170 – 174. Aratricerca cirithrus n. gen. & n. sp. ex Ptiloprora guisei guisei: 170, male head, dorsal and ventral views. 171, male genitalia, dorsal view. 172, male mesosome, ventral view. 173, male paramere, dorsal view. 174, female subgenital plate and vulval margin, ventral view.

FIGURES 184 – 188. Turdinirmus merulensis (Denny, 1842) ex Turdus merula: 184, male head, dorsal and ventral views. 185, male genitalia, dorsal view. 186, male mesosome, ventral view. 187, male paramere, dorsal view. 188, female subgenital plate and vulval margin, ventral view.

FIGURES 191 – 195. Turdinirmus australissimus n. sp. ex Zoothera lunulata lunulata: 191, male head, dorsal and ventral views. 192, male genitalia, dorsal view. 193, male mesosome, ventral view. 194, male paramere, dorsal view. 195 female subgenital plate and vulval margin, ventral view.