Brueelia oschadlei, Gustafsson & Grossi & Halajian & Engelbrecht, 2024

Gustafsson, Daniel R., Grossi, Alexandra A., Halajian, Ali & Engelbrecht, Derek, 2024, New species and new records of Brueelia Kéler, 1936 (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera) from South Africa, Zootaxa 5446 (1), pp. 88-104 : 93

Brueelia oschadlei new species

( Figs 3 , 13 , 20–26 , 37–38 )

Type host: Ploceus capensis (Linnaeus, 1766) — Cape weaver.

Type locality: Lambert’s Bay , Western Cape Province, South Africa .

Diagnosis. Both sexes of Brueelia oschadlei n. sp. key out to Brueelia semiscalaris Gustafsson et al., 2019a , in the key of Gustafsson et al. (2019a), but they can be separated by the following characters: pigmentation patterns of the male and female subgenital plates (cf. Figs 3 , 13 with Figs 8 , 17 ); head of B. oschadlei ( Fig. 22 ) proportionately shorter and broader than in B. semiscalaris ; abdominal segment III with ps in both sexes in B. oschadlei , but without ps in B. semiscalaris ; male parameres slender and elongated, about 2 times as long as mesosome, in B. oschadlei ( Fig. 23 ), but stouter, not elongated and less than 1.5 times as long as mesosome in B. semiscalaris ; proximal mesosome with distal constriction in B. oschadlei ( Fig. 25 ), but without such constriction in B. semiscalaris ; female vulval margin with fewer vss (2–4) and fewer vss (4–6) in B. oschadlei ( Fig. 26 ) than in B. semiscalaris (6–7 and 7–8, respectively).

Also, B. oschadlei can be separated from B. inusta n. sp. ( Figs 27–33 ) by the following characters: aps present on male tergopleurite V in B. oschadlei ( Fig. 20 ), but absent in B. inusta ( Fig. 27 ); ps present on abdominal segment III, and 2 ps present on abdominal segments IV–VI in both sexes in B. oschadlei ( Figs 20–21 ), but absent on abdominal segment III and only one ps on each of segments IV–VI in B. inusta ( Figs 27–28 ); lateral margins of preantennal head more convex in B. inusta ( Fig. 29 ) than in B. oschadlei ( Fig. 22 ); proximal mesosome more flattened anteriorly in B. inusta ( Figs 30–31 ) than in B. oschadlei ( Figs 23–24 ); female vulval margin with fewer vms and more vss in B. oschadlei ( Fig. 26 ) than in B. inusta ( Fig. 33 ).

Description. Head rounded trapezoidal ( Fig. 22 ), lateral margins of preantennal head straight or only barely convex, frons concave. Marginal carina slender, deeply displaced and somewhat widened at osculum. Ventral anterior plate small. Head chaetotaxy and pigmentation patterns as in Fig. 22 . Preantennal nodi slender, elongated. Preocular nodi larger than postocular nodi. Marginal temporal carina variable in width, with undulating median margin. Thoracic and abdominal segments, chaetotaxy, and pigmentation patterns as in Figs 20–21 . Anterior dark band on subgenital plate of both sexes may be medianly continuous with central dark area, or may be separate. Male abdominal chaetotaxy: ss present on tergopleurites V–VIII; tps present on tergopleurites VII–VIII; psps present on tergopleurites VI–VII; aps present on tergopleurites V–VII; ps present on segments III–VIII. Female abdominal chaetotaxy: ss, tps, aps absent; psps present on tergopleurites VI–VII; ps present on segments III–VIII. Basal apodeme broad, with sinuous lateral margins and rounded proximal end ( Fig. 23 ). Proximal mesosome rounded trapezoidal, constricted distally ( Fig. 24 ). Mesosomal lobes convergent distally, with extensive rugose areas. Gonopore large, rounded. Penile arms not extended beyond distal margin of mesosome. Parameres elongated, sinuous, with pst1–2 as in Fig. 24 . Female subgenital plate trapezoidal, with broad connection to cross-piece ( Fig. 26 ). Vulval margin rounded convergent to median point, with 2–4 short, slender vms and 4–6 short, thorn-like vss on each side; 2–3 short, slender vos on each side of subgenital plate; distal 1 vos on each side median to vss. Measurements are given in Table 1 .

Etymology: The species is named after Dr Dieter Oschadleus (Research Associate at the University of Cape Town, and at the University KwaZulu-Natal) in recognition of his work on African birds over many years, and for his assistance to A.H. collecting ectoparasites from South African birds.

Type material. Ex Ploceus capensis : Holotype ♂, Lambert’s Bay, Western Cape Province, South Africa, 21 Oct. 2012, coll. A. Halajian, SAFRING CV27592 , Plocap 16 ( NHML). Paratypes: 1♂, 1♀, same data as holotype, SAFRING CV27590 , Plocap 13 ( NHML). 1♀, same data as holotype, ring CV27591 , Plocap 15 ( NHML). 1♂, same data as holotype, SAFRING CV27593 , Plocap 17 ( NHML). 1♂, 1♀, Patryskloof farm, Worcester, Western Cape Province, South Africa, 17 Oct. 2012, coll. A. Halajian, SAFRING CV27574 , Plocap 1 ( NHML). 1♂, 1♀, same data as previous, SAFRING CV27575 , Plocap 2 ( NHML). 1♂, 1♀, same locality and collector as previous, 18 Oct. 2012, SAFRING CV27579 , Plocap 3 ( NHML). 1♂, 1♀, same data as previous, SAFRING CV27582 , Plocap 6 ( NHML). 1♂, 1♀, same data as previous, SAFRING CV27580 , Plocap 7 ( NHML). 1♂, 1♀, same data as previous, SAFRING CV27584 , Plocap 8 ( NHML). 1♂, 1♀, same data as previous, SAFRING CV27585 , Plocap 9 ( NHML). 1♂, 1♀, same data as previous, SAFRING CV27586 , Plocap 10 ( NHML). 1♂, 2♀, same data as previous, SAFRING CV27587 , Plocap 11 ( NHML). 1♂, 1♀, same data as previous, SAFRING CV27588 , Plocap 12 ( NHML) .

Figures

FIGURES 1–10. Male subgenital plates of the species in the “African pied Brueelia” group, showing pigmentation patterns. 1, Brueelia aguilarae Gustafsson & Bush, 2017. 2, Brueelia cantans Sychra [in Sychra et al.], 2010b. 3, Brueelia oschadlei n. sp. 4, Brueelia inusta n. sp. 5, Brueelia mpumalangensis Gustafsson et al., 2018. 6, Brueelia ploceus (Lakshminarayana, 1968). 7, Brueelia quelea Sychra & Barlev [in Sychra et al.], 2010a. 8, Brueelia semiscalaris Gustafsson et al., 2019. 9, Brueelia sima Gustafsson et al., 2019. 10, Brueelia terpsichore Gustafsson et al., 2019. Note: Pigmentation patterns are variable and often asymmetrical, and the degree of darkness and colour differ among species. All setae have been omitted.

FIGURES 11–19. Female subgenital plates of the species in the “African pied Brueelia” group, showing pigmentation patterns. 11, Brueelia aguilarae Gustafsson & Bush, 2017. 12, Brueelia cantans Sycha [in Sychra et al.], 2010b. 13, Brueelia oschadlei n. sp. 14, Brueelia inusta n. sp. 15, Brueelia mpumalangensis Gustafsson et al., 2018. 16, Brueelia quelea Sychra & Barlev [in Sychra et al.], 2010a. 17, Brueelia semiscalaris Gustafsson et al., 2019. 18, Brueelia sima Gustafsson et al., 2019. 19, Brueelia terpsichore Gustafsson et al., 2019. Note:All illustrations are redrawn from their respective original descriptions. The pattern of the female subgenital plate of Brueelia ploceus (Lakshminarayana, 1968) is not available. All setae have been omitted.

FIGURES 20–21. Brueelia oschadlei n. sp. 20, male habitus, dorsal and ventral views. 21, female habitus, dorsal and ventral views.

FIGURES 22–26. Brueelia oschadlei n. sp. 22, male head, dorsal and ventral views. 23, male genitalia, dorsal view. 24, male mesosome, ventral view. 25, male paramere, dorsal view. 26, female subgenital plate and vulval margin, ventral view.

FIGURES 37–40. Male and female habitus showing pigmentation patterns. 37, Brueelia oschadlei n. sp. holotype male. 38, Brueelia oschadlei n. sp. paratype female. 39, Brueelia inusta n. sp. holotype male. 40, Brueelia inusta n. sp. paratype female.

FIGURES 27–28. Brueelia inusta n. sp. 27, male habitus, dorsal and ventral views. 28, female habitus, dorsal and ventral views.

FIGURES 29–33. Brueelia inusta n. sp. 29, male head, dorsal and ventral views. 30, male genitalia, dorsal view. 31, male mesosome, ventral view. 32, male paramere, dorsal view. 33, female subgenital plate and vulval margin, ventral view.