Titanomessor sexloba 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 : 134-137

Titanomessor sexloba Gustafsson & Bush , new species

( Figs 210–216 )

Type host. Laniarius erythrogaster (Cretzschmar, 1829) — black-headed gonolek. Type locality. Uganda.

Diagnosis. Titanomessor sexloba n. sp. is separated from all other known species of the Brueelia -complex by the shape and structure of the male parameres ( Fig. 215 ), the transversally continuous dorsal preantennal suture that does not reach the margin of the head ( Fig. 212 ), and the sexually dimorphic mts (see below).

Description. Both sexes. Head shape, structure, and chaetotaxy as in genus description and Fig. 212 . Dorsal preantennal suture irregular, often with diffuse margins, but does not seem to reach either ads or dsms. We have examined both male and female specimens in which the mts chaetotaxy is different from that given in the genus description. Specifically, in some female specimens mts 5 is as long as mts 3–4, and in some male specimens either mts 4 or mts 5 are spine-like, but these specimens are aberrant only on one side of the head. Head largely pale, except median margin of marginal carina, parts of mandibular framework, preocular nodi, occipital carinae, and gular plate with medium-brown pigmentation. Pedicel and flagellomeres I–II with light brown pigmentation. Thoracic and abdominal segments as in genus description and Figs 210–211 . Thorax with only proepimera and metepisterna with brown pigmentation, otherwise translucent. Tergopleurites translucent. Sternal plates, pleurites, and subgenital plates of both sexes with light brown pigmentation.

Male. Distal part of subgenital plate translucent. Abdominal chaetotaxy as in Table 2 and Fig. 210 . Male genitalia as in genus description and Figs 213–215 . Proximal mesosome somewhat variable between specimens, rounded to flat; pmes not visible in all specimens, including holotype. Measurements ex Laniarius erythrogaster (n = 6 except n = 5 for TL): TL = 1.75–1.92; HL = 0.47–0.50; HW = 0.53–0.56; PRW = 0.30–0.32; PTW = 0.48–0.51; AW = 0.65–0.72.

Female. Posterior and median sections of tergopleurite IX+X with pale brown pigmentation. Abdominal chaetotaxy as in Table 2 and Fig. 211 . Subgenital plate irregularly rectangular, not reaching vulval marin ( Fig. 216 ). Vulval margin gently rounded ( Fig. 216 ), with 5–8 short, slender vms on each side, and 12–16 short, thornlike vss on each side. 6–10 long, slender vos; distal 1–2 vos median to vss. Some examined females (3 of 7) with 1– 2 thorn-like setae lateral to vos on one side as in Fig. 216 ; these thorn-like setae are missing entirely in the remaining 4 females. Measurements ex Laniarius erythrogaster (n = 7): TL = 1.92–2.20; HL = 0.52–0.56; HW = 0.58–0.62; PRW = 0.34–0.38; PTW = 0.52–0.57; AW = 0.69–0.80.

Etymology. The species epithet is formed by Latin “ sex ” for “six” and “ lobus ” for “lobes”, referring to the six lobes of the male genitalia ( Figs 213–215 ).

Type material. Ex Laniarius erythrogaster : Holotype ♂, Uganda, Apr. 1936, R. Meinertzhagen, 7736 ( NHML) . Paratypes: 5♂, 6♀, same data as holotype, 7735–6 ( NHML) .

Figures

FIGURES 210 – 211. Titanomessor sexloba n. gen. & n. sp. ex Laniarius erythrogaster: 210, male habitus, dorsal and ventral views. 211, female habitus, dorsal and ventral views.

FIGURES 212 – 216. Titanomessor sexloba n. gen. & n. sp. ex Laniarius erythrogaster: 212, male head, dorsal and ventral views. 213, male genitalia, dorsal view. 214, mesosome, ventral view. 215, parameres, dorsal view. 216, female subgenital plate and vulval margin, ventral view. Scale for parameres same as for male genitalia.