Lunaceps rothkoi, Gustafsson & Olsson, 2012

Gustafsson, Daniel R. & Olsson, Urban, 2012, 3377, Zootaxa 3377, pp. 1-85 : 66-68

Lunaceps rothkoi sp. nov.

( Fig. 27a – d; Table 1)

Lunaceps falcinellus Timmermann, 1954a: 627 (partim)

Lunaceps falcinellus Timmermann ; Price et al., 2003: 196 (partim)

Lunaceps falcinellus Timmermann (“Clade 5”); Gustafsson and Olsson (2012): 94 ( Figs. 1, 2)

.

Type host: Tryngites subruficollis ( Vieillot, 1819)

Diagnosis: Head oblong, almost rectangular ( Fig. 27a). Hyaline margin thin. Marginal carina clearly demarcated around the preantennal area, and broad anteriorly, but it becomes more transparent at the dorsal preantennal suture. Ventral anterior plate triangular and elongated, reaching well posterior to the dorsal preantennal suture. AVS32 slightly anterior to AVS3, but both markedly posterior to ADS. Dorsal preantennal suture wide, and enveloping the apertures of the ADS. Lateral nodi well developed. Dark preantennal band present only as a pair of dark marks near the lateral nodi.

Paratergal plates narrow ( Fig. 27b). In males, the tergal heads are large, almost triangular, and are often more lightly coloured than the paratergal plates. In females available, the tergal heads are smaller.

Parameres slender and gently bent ( Fig. 27c). Mesomere roughly trapezoid dorsally. Lower endomere crescent-shaped. Apodemal bridge diffuse.

Discussion: The Lunaceps population on Tryngites subruficollis was first separated from L. falcinellus , the species it was previously placed with, by DNA ( Gustafsson and Olsson, 2012). All available females have their genitalia obscured by gut content, and the number of genital setae and other features are unknown.

Similar to L. holophaeus , but can be separated from this species by the shape of the dorsal preantennal suture, which reaches the lateral sides of the head, and by the shape of the head. Male genitalia similar to those of L. incoenis , with which it is closely related ( Gustafsson and Olsson, 2012: Fig. 1, 2), but the shape of the head and the ventral anterior plate clearly separate them. The dorsal anterior plate is elongated and tapering posteriorly, unlike all other Lunaceps species.

One slide of material from Bartramia longicauda has a mixture of Phthiraptera species; The middle specimen (a female) appears to be L. rothkoi sp. nov. but, if there are truly Lunaceps on Bartramia —which is possible, given its supposed phylogenetic position ( Hebert et al., 2004; Thomas et al, 2004a; Baker et al., 2007; Gibson, 2010)—more material would be needed to ascertain if the specimen on this slide is L. rothkoi , and if L. rothkoi occurs on both hosts naturally. The two hosts use similar stop-over spots and wintering grounds.

Etymology: Named in honour of the painter Mark Rothko (1903–1970), whose painting Saffron (1957) is somewhat reminiscent of the colouration and distribution of dark and light areas in the head of the holotype. He is also one of the first author’s favourite painters.

Material examined:

Ex Tryngites subruficollis (synonym: Tringites rufescens )

Holotype: ♂ 1, Canada, USA ( NHML).

Paratypes: ♀ 1, ♂ 5, Canada, USA ( NHML) .

Non-types: ♂ 2, Barbados, R. S. M., 6 October 1888, J. Waterston Collection BM 1930-232 ( NHML). ♂ 1, Barbados, R . S. M., 6 October 1888, J. Waterston Collection, BM 1930-232 ( NHML). ♀ 1, Sweden: Öland : Ottenby Bird Observatory , 12 October 2007, ID: 500, Band number: 3536135, D. Gustafsson, ( SMNH) .

Material of uncertain status due to poor condition:

Ex Tryngites subruficollis :

♀ 2 (abdomen only), Barbados, R . S. M., 6 October, 1888, J. Waterston Collection, BM 1930-232 ( NHML) .