Lunaceps hopkinsi Timmermann, 1954

Gustafsson, Daniel R. & Olsson, Urban, 2012, 3377, Zootaxa 3377, pp. 1-85 : 31-33

Lunaceps hopkinsi Timmermann, 1954

( Fig. 12a–d; Table 1)

Lunaceps sp. Thompson, 1948: 200

Lunaceps hopkinsi Timmermann, 1954a: 634

Lunaceps hopkinsi Timmermann ; Malcomson, 1960: 190

Lunaceps sp. Butler, 1961: 382 (uncertain)

Lunaceps sp. Butler and Usinger, 1963: 8

Lunaceps numenii hopkinsi Timmermann ; Emerson, 1972: 94

Lunaceps hopkinsi Timmermann ; Ward and Downey, 1973: 394

Lunaceps numenii hopkinsi Timmermann ; Price et al., 2003: 196

Type host: Numenius tahitiensis (J.F. Gmelin, 1789)

Diagnosis: Hyaline margin comparatively broad, even on lateral sides ( Fig. 12a). Marginal carina broad and well demarcated, with pronounced lateral nodi. Anterior to dorsal preantennal suture, the marginal carina is visible only in two prominent dark lateral patches between AS 1 and AS 2. DSMS very long. Ventral anterior plate broad and tapering to a point, and augmented by a pronounced U–shaped thickening, clearly defined on both sides. Preantennal nodi very dark. Dorsal preantennal suture interrupted medially, and bulges posteriorly to envelop the apertures of the ADS. Preantennal setae long and slender. AVS2 and AVS3 aligned (or with AVS3 slightly anterior to AVS2), in males also aligned with ADS, but markedly posterior to this in females.

Pterothorax with rounded posterior margin.

Abdomen slender ( Fig 12b). Anterior margin of segments II–III in males and II–IV in females with narrow wedge-shaped median indentation. Paratergal plated narrow, with a thin dark border marking. Tergal heads missing entirely. Ventral sublateral setae of segments IV–VIII very long, trichoid in both sexes. Both sexes with intermediate macrosetae on segment III and with ventral setae on segment VI trichoid and of roughly equal length. Other abdominal setae also long, and usually very slender. Female abdominal setae long, but not as slender as in the males.

Female genital lobes with 8–10 posterior marginal setae, 6–8 sub-marginal setae, and 7–8 median marginal setae ( Fig 12c). Parameres slender, and gently curved, with an inconspicuous ventral aperture in distal fourth. Mesomere with lateral bulge in distal half, with two small lateral apertures ( Fig. 12d). Dorsal fingers convergent, extending anteriorly to the ventral blades. Distal end of mesomere elongated and narrow. Lower endomere broad and wide, approaching a triangle in shape, but with convex lateral sides, and connected to the apodemal bridge by a narrow triangle.

Nymphs: One nymph examined, which also seems to have the intermediate macrosetae on abdominal segment III, but the abdomen of the specimen is distorted. Dorsal anterior suture thin, and ends abruptly well anterior of antennal base.

Discussion: The hook-shaped endomeral apices mentioned by Timmermann (1954a) are artefacts of mounting, and can be seen in many species, and cannot be used as a differentiating character.

The male genitalia of L. hopkinsi have characters that are an amalgamation of genitalic characters of, L. rileyi , L. kukri sp. nov. and L. proximus , and those of L. numenii phaeopi . The shape of the mesomere is similar to L. rileyi , L. kukri sp. nov. and L. proximus , whereas the parameres are more similar to those of L. numenii phaeopi . The female is almost identical to L. kukri sp. nov., but differs in the genital setae and the lateral setae of abdominal segment III, both of which are longer in L. kukri sp. nov. than in L. hopkinsi . The narrow median indentations of the anterior abdominal segments are almost identical in extent to those of L. lissmanni and L. rileyi . In both sexes, the abdominal setae are quite long and slender, with many lateral or sublateral setae are almost trichoid; this feature is similar to that in L. proximus , but the abdomen of L. proximus is broader. Both sexes of L. hopkinsi can be separated from all other species by the presence of dorsal intermediate macrosetae on abdominal segment III.

Etymology: Named in honour of George Henry Evans Hopkins (1898–1973), a well-known phthirapterist, who worked at the Zoological Museum, Tring.

Material examined:

Ex Numenius tahitiensis

Holotype: ♂ 1, Palau: Malakai , 25 July 1920 ( NHML) (genitalia on separate slide).

Allotype: ♀ 1, Kiribati: Phoenix Group: Canton Island , 3 July 1889 ( NHML).

Paratypes: ♂ 3, Palau: Malakai , 25 July 1920 ( NHML) . ♂ 3, Kiribati: Phoenix Group: Canton Island , 3 July 1889 ( NHML) (also one slide containing only male genitalia, although no matching body has been found) .

Non-types: n#1, Kiribati: Phoenix Group: Canton Island, 3 July 1889 ( NHML). ♀ 1, ♂ 3, Pacific Ocean : Niue Island, 8 November 1972, DM 17759 ( MONZ) . ♀ 11, ♂ 13, Pacific Ocean : Cook Islands: Palmerston Atoll, 1 July 1960, NM 15355 ( MONZ) .