Timalinirmus curvus Gustafsson, Zou & Bush, 2022

Gustafsson, Daniel R., Zou, Fasheng & Bush, Sarah E., 2022, Descriptions of six new species of slender-bodied chewing lice of the Resartor-group (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera: Brueelia-complex), Zootaxa 5104 (4), pp. 506-530 : 524-525

Timalinirmus curvus Gustafsson, Zou & Bush , new species

( Figs 34–40 )

Type host. Yuhina castaniceps plumbeiceps (Godwin-Austen 1877) —striated yuhina ( Zosteropidae ).

Type locality. Shiwandashan National Park , Guanxi Province, China .

Diagnosis. Timalinirmus curvus n. sp. can be separated from Timalinirmus hrabali by the following characters: head proportionately shorter and broader, especially in the temples, in T. curvus ( Fig. 36 ) than in T. hrabali ; male subgenital plate reaches distal end of abdomen in T. curvus ( Fig. 34 ), but does not reach distal end of abdomen in T. hrabali ; female tergopleurite XI much reduced in T. hrabali , but large in T. curvus ( Fig. 35 ); tergopleurite III in both sexes of T. curvus with ps reaching to or beyond spiracle opening IV ( Figs 34–35 ), but not reaching spiracle opening IV in T. hrabali ; proximal mesosome with flat anterior margin in T. curvus ( Fig. 39 ), but with pointed anterior margin in T. hrabali . Note that the male genitalia of T. hrabali appear to have been illustrated from a specimen in which they are partly everted; hence, an adequate comparison between the genitalia of these two species cannot be made.

Description. Both sexes. Head trapezoidal ( Fig. 36 ), with lateral margins of preantennal area convex and frons shallowly concave. Marginal carina interrupted laterally. Dorsal preantennal suture does not extend much median to ads. Dorsal anterior plate with prominent posterior sinuous thickening across all of plate. Ventral anterior plate absent. Head chaetotaxy as in Fig. 36 . Coni about as long as scape, broad. Temples angular. Gular plate roughly triangular. Thoracic and abdominal segments as in Figs 34–35 .

Male. Subgenital plate ( Fig. 34 ) covering segments VII–XI, not divided. Thoracic and abdominal chaetotaxy as in Fig. 34 ; tergopleurites VII–VIII with 1 tps on each side; sternite VII with 1 sts on each side. Basal apodeme ( Fig. 37 ) widening distally. Proximal mesosome ( Fig. 39 ) elongated, rounded, constricted at mid-length. Mesosomal lobes wide, angular on anterior end, with distal end hooked and slightly serrated on median margin; narrow dorsal transverse fingers in distal end; 3 gpmes microsetae on each side of gonopore. Parameres ( Fig. 38 ) of unique shape within Brueelia -complex, strongly sinuous; pst1 sensillum, near distal end; pst2 microsetae, on distal margin. Measurements (n = 2): TL = 1.78–1.83; HL = 0.35–0.36; HW = 0.32; PRW = 0.22; PTW = 0.27–0.28; AW = 0.33–0.39.

Female. Thoracic and abdominal chaetotaxy as in Fig. 35 ; ss not visible in either examined female. Tergopleurite IX+X fused with tergopleurite XI only median of setae. Subgenital plate ( Fig. 40 ) roughly triangular, but with somewhat sinuous lateral margins; detached cross-piece reaches vulval margin for entire length. Vulval margin ( Fig. 40 ) gently rounded, with 5 short, slender vms on each side and 7 thorn-like vss on each side; vss longer than vms; 3–5 long, slender vos on each side; distal 1 vos on detached cross-piece, median to vss. Measurements (n = 3): TL = 2.08–2.27; HL = 0.37–0.39; HW = 0.34–0.37; PRW = 0.24–0.25; PTW = 0.28–0.32; AW = 0.39–0.56.

Type material. Ex Yuhina castaniceps plumbeiceps : Holotype ♂, Shiwandashan National Park, Guanxi Province, China, 26 Apr. 2005, S.E. Bush & D.H. Clayton, host MBR-6717, lice P-667 ( NHML). Paratypes: 1♂, 2♀, same data as holotype ( PIPR) .

Non-types: Ex Yuhina castaniceps plumbeiceps : 1♀, Babaoshan, Nanling Mountains, Guangdong Province, China, 23 Jul. 2017, D. Su & X. Chu, Bird-ID J0098, Louse-ID GD-PHTH-00275 ( IZGAS) .

Etymology. The species epithet, “ curvus ”, is Latin for “bent”, referring to the shape of the parameres.

Remarks. The male genitalia of the two males examined are partially everted, with the parameres folded anteriorly; therefore, non-everted parameres may appear slightly different from what is illustrated here.

Figures

FIGURES 34–35. Timalinirmus curvus n. sp. 34, male habitus, dorsal and ventral views. 35, female habitus, dorsal and ventral views. Abbreviation: tps—tergal posterior seta.

FIGURES 36–40. Timalinirmus curvus n. sp. 36, male head, dorsal and ventral views. 37, male genitalia, dorsal view. 38, male paramere, dorsal view. 39, male mesosome, ventral view. 40, female subgenital plate and vulva margin, ventral view.