Lunaceps numenii madagascariensis, Gustafsson & Olsson, 2012

Gustafsson, Daniel R. & Olsson, Urban, 2012, 3377, Zootaxa 3377, pp. 1-85 : 55

Lunaceps numenii madagascariensis ssp. nov.

( Fig. 22a – d; Table 1)

Lunaceps numenii (Denny) ; Timmermann, 1954a: 631 (partim)

Lunaceps numenii numenii (Denny) ; Pilgrim and Palma, 1982: 20

Lunaceps numenii numenii (Denny) ; Price et al., 2003: 196 (partim)

Type host: Numenius madagascariensis ( Linnaeus, 1766)

Diagnosis: As nominate subspecies, but with slight differences in size. Head very similar ( Fig. 22a). Anterolateral ends of tergites similar to those of the nominate, but the sublateral indentation rounder and broader, but still with a narrow opening ( Fig. 22b). In segment V, the tergal bar occasionally extends laterally to form a small, transparent tergal head.

In the male genitalia ( Fig. 22d), the median dorsal groove of the mesomere is narrow and deep, the lower endomere is not as long as in the nominate, and the lateral setae of the mesomere are more commonly visible in L. n. madagascariensis than in L. n. numenii . The parameres are on average shorter in L. n. madagascariensis . In some individuals, there is a colour difference in the male genitalia, with the basal apodeme and lower endomere being greyish brown, and the parameres and mesomere more yellowish.

There is a tendency in the female genitalia towards having fewer posterior marginal setae (typically 7, sometimes 8) ( Fig. 22c), but they fall within the range variation for L. n. numenii .

Discussion: The Lunaceps populations on N. arquata and N. madagascariensis are very similar, and some females cannot be separated, suggesting that they are closely related. However, we found that consistent differences among the males justify giving the Lunaceps populations from N. madagascariensis the status of subspecies. Furthermore, with other Lunaceps species (e.g. L. falcinellus and L. incoenis ) we have found that small morphological differences may still correspond to great genetic differences, and this may be the case with the subspecies of L. numenii . However, we feel that the morphological differences alone are not sufficient to separate them into different species until more data, including genetic data, has been collected.

Material examined:

Ex Numenius madagascariensis

Holotype: ♂ 1, Australia: Tasmania: Sandford , 4 May 1958, BM 1959-667 ( NMHL).

Paratypes (on same slide): ♀ 1, ♂ 1, Australia: Tasmania: Sandford , 4 May 1958, BM 1959-667 ( NHML) .

Non-types: ♀ 9, ♂ 3, Russia: Kamtschatka, Meinertzhagen Collection 11016 ( NHML). ♀ 1, Australia: South Australia, DM4136 ( MONZ). ♀ 17, ♂ 19, New Zealand: Stewart Island: Masons Bay , 12 November 1976, R . C.L. Pilgrim Collection ( MONZ). ♂ 2, Russia: Kamtschatka, Meinertzhagen Collection 11016 ( NHML) .