Lipeurus angustus, Rudow, 1869

Adams, Richard J., Price, Roger D. & Clayton, Dale H., 2005, Taxonomic revision of Old World members of the feather louse genus Columbicola (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera), including descriptions of eight new species, Journal of Natural History 39 (41), pp. 3545-3618 : 3572-3576

6. angustus species group

This group consists of six species from the host genera Phaps , Macropygia , Gallicolumba , Reinwardtoena , and Ocyphaps . They have the anterior marginal head carina complete, either rounded ( Figure 81 ) or indented ( Figure 78 ); body elongate ( Figure 1 ); each side of metanotum with two long, two short setae ( Figure 2 ). Male antenna with enlarged scape, spur on third segment; mesosome triangular, tightly wedged between long, thin parameres, with two or four pores ( Figures 76 , 82 ). Female subgenital plate groove elongate, either narrow or broad; lateral setae either lacking, or, if present, quite short ( Figures 77 , 86 ).

Columbicola angustus (Rudow)

( Figures 76, 77 ) Lipeurus angustus Rudow 1869: 34 . Type host: Phaps chalcoptera (Latham) .

Description

Head narrow and long, more pronounced in female. Male HW, 0.25–0.27 (0.260); HL, 0.52–0.55 (0.535); HL/ HW, 2.00–2.12 (2.06). Thorax with PW, 0.22–0.23 (0.222); MW, 0.27–0.29 (0.280). Genitalia as in Figure 76 ; mesosome triangular, with rounded anterior indentation and 2 pores; GW, 0.083 –0.088 (0.084). TL, 2.20–2.28 (2.24). Female HW, 0.23–0.26 (0.252); HL, 0.60–0.63 (0.617); HL/ HW, 2.31–2.74 (2.45). Ventral terminalia as in Figure 77 ; subgenital plate groove peaked, ovoid anteriorly, constricted medially, widening posteriorly. TL, 2.74–2.84 (2.80) .

Material

4 males, 4 females, ex P. chalcoptera , Western Australia (2).

Remarks

The genital structure of both sexes is distinctive. It is worth noting that the type host, P. chalcoptera , is known to harbor two different species of Columbicola : C. angustus from western Australia and C. tasmaniensis Tendeiro from southeastern Australia. The degree of range overlap between these two species, if any, is unknown.

Columbicola beccarii Tendeiro ( Figures 78–80 ) Columbicola beccarii Tendeiro 1984: 84 . Type host: Gallicolumba b. beccarii (Salvadori) .

Description

Head broad, dorsoanterior plate rounded with slight anterior indentation ( Figures 78, 79 ). Male head ( Figure 78 ) with APW, 0.127; HW, 0.30; HL, 0.52; HL/HW, 1.73; SL, 0.113; ventral row of small setae anterior to mandibles. Thorax with PW, 0.23; MW, 0.29. Genitalia as in Figure 80 ; parameres long and straight; mesosome triangular, with 2 pores; GW, 0.088. TL, 1.98. Female similar to male except as follows. APW, 0.142; HW, 0.33; HL, 0.56; HL/HW, 1.73. Thorax with PW, 0.25; MW, 0.32. TL, 2.47.

Material

Holotype male, allotype female of C. beccarii , ex G. b. beccarii , New Guinea (1).

Remarks

Tendeiro (1984) based his description on two males and two females. Although the genitalia are clearly visible in the male (holotype), the ventral terminalia, including the subgenital plate, are obscured in the female specimen we examined. We are therefore unable to confirm Tendeiro’s (1984) description of the subgenital plate as having a narrow posterior indentation, widening slightly posteriorly. However, the broad head shape, in conjunction with the indented dorsoanterior head plate, and row of setae above the mandibles in the male, should make identification of this species straightforward.

Columbicola taschenbergi Eichler

( Figures 81, 82 )

Columbicola taschenbergi Eichler 1942b: 286 . Type host: Reinwardtoena r. reinwardtii (Temminck) .

Description

Male exceptionally large, with head as in Figure 81 , long and broad; medioposterior setae unusually long, with over half their length beyond posterior margin; APW, 0.147; HW, 0.34; HL, 0.64; HL/HW, 1.88; SL, 0.172. Thorax with PW, 0.29; MW, 0.37. Genitalia as in Figure 82 ; mesosome triangular, wedged between posterior portion of parameres, with 4 pores; GW, 0.091. TL, 2.63. Female unknown.

Material

1 male, ex R. reinwardtii griseotincta E. Hartert , New Guinea (1).

Remarks

The male of C. taschenbergi is one of the largest in the genus. Its size, low HL/HW ratio, long setae, and mesosomal structure make identification of C. taschenbergi straightforward.

Columbicola mckeani Tendeiro

( Figures 83–86 ) Columbicola mckeani Tendeiro 1973a: 526 . Type host: Ocyphaps lophotes (Temminck) .

Description

Similar to C. angustus ; PMHS long and hair like ( Figures 83, 84 ). Male HW, 0.26–0.28 (0.267); HL, 0.52–0.54 (0.533); HL/ HW, 1.93–2.08 (2.00); SL 0.127 –0.137 (0.132). Thorax with PW, 0.22–0.23 (0.223); MW, 0.28–0.31 (0.300). Genitalia as in Figure 85 ; parameres elongate; mesosome triangular, laterally thickened, with 2 pores; GW, 0.069 – 0.074 (0.071). TL, 2.13–2.23 (2.16). Female HW, 0.27–0.28 (0.272); HL, 0.56–0.59 (0.567); HL/ HW, 2.07–2.11 (2.08). Thorax with PW, 0.21–0.25 (0.225); MW, 0.29–0.31 (0.300). Ventral terminalia as in Figure 86 ; subgenital plate groove elliptical, with 2 small setae on each side. TL, 2.42–2.57 (2.47) .

Material

6 males, 1 female, ex O. lophotes , South Australia (3).

Remarks

Columbicola mckeani shares thin elongate PMHS with C. tschulyschman ; however, the former can be distinguished from the latter by a greater HL/HW ratio and different genitalia. Tendeiro (1973a) pointed out similarities between C. mckeani and C. angustus ; however, the former is smaller, has a different mesosomal structure, and has hair-like PMHS, compared to short, thick PMHS in C. angustus . Since we had access to only a single female specimen of C. mckeani , we have included Tendeiro’s (1973a) measurements of the allotype and two female paratypes to illustrate the range of variation.

Columbicola exilicornis (Piaget) ( Figures 87–90 ) Lipeurus exilicornis Piaget 1880: 679 . Type host: Sterna sp. ( Charadriiformes : Laridae ).

Description

Male anterior carina medially expanded, pointing toward thickened anterior sagittal band ( Figure 87 ); HW, 0.29–0.33 (0.308); HL, 0.58–0.65 (0.607); HL/ HW, 1.76–2.10 (1.98); SL, 0.122 –0.145 (0.133). Thorax with PW, 0.24–0.28 (0.266); MW, 0.27–0.39 (0.321). Genitalia as in Figure 89 ; mesosome triangular, tightly wedged between posterior end of relatively straight parameres, with 4 pores; GW, 0.078 –0.088 (0.084). TL, 2.23–2.57 (2.41). Female similar to male except as follows. Head as in Figure 88 ; HW, 0.31–0.33 (0.319); HL, 0.61–0.70 (0.650); HL/ HW 1.94 – 2.16 (2.04). Thorax with PW, 0.24–0.26 (0.251); MW, 0.32–0.36 (0.342). Ventral terminalia as in Figure 90 ; subgenital plate groove elongate, with 2–5 short setae (0.007 –0.012) on each side. TL, 2.60–2.99 (2.83) .

Material

7 males, 6 females (including 3 males, 3 females identified by Tendeiro), ex Macropygia unchall (Wagler) , Thailand (2) . 1 male, 1 female (both identified by Tendeiro), ex M. ruficeps (Temminck) , Thailand (1) . 2 males, 2 females, ex M. amboinensis phasianella (Temminck) , Philippines (2) . 2 males, ex Phapitreron amethystinus Bonaparte , Philippines (2) . 2 males, 2 females, ex Geopelia striata (L.), Philippines (2).

Remarks

The holotype of C. exilicornis is a female, recorded from an unidentified species of tern ( Sterna sp. ), which presumably represents an erroneous host record. Other specimens have been collected from several species of Macropygia , and additional collecting has yielded this species on additional host genera, particularly in the Philippines. For example, Tendeiro (1984) recorded a pair of C. exilicornis on Gallicolumba jobiensis (A. B. Meyer) . Specimens we examined from G. striata and P. amethystinus both proved to be new host records. Columbicola exilicornis shares features with the new species C. arnoldi , such as the medially expanded anterior head carina and thickened sagittal band. The males of these species can be readily separated by details of the mesosome; however, the females are currently inseparable.

Tendeiro (1965) considered C. juliusriemeri Eichler and Mrosek to be a synonym of C. exilicornis , despite never having studied the single male (holotype) specimen from which the former species was described (the holotype has apparently been lost). We feel Tendeiro’s action was premature, and that C. juliusriemeri must retain species status pending the acquisition and study of additional specimens. Drawings of the holotype by Eichler and Mrosek, although minimal in detail, show some possibly informative characters (see C. juliusriemeri account later in this revision).

Figures

Figures 78–94. Columbicola beccarii: (78) male dorsal head; (79) female dorsal head; (80) male genitalia. C. taschenbergi: (81) male dorsal head; (82) male genitalia. C. mckeani: (83) male dorsal head; (84) female dorsal head; (85) male genitalia; (86) female ventral terminalia. C. exilicornis: (87) male dorsal head; (88) female dorsal head; (89) male genitalia; (90) female ventral terminalia. C. arnoldi: (91) male dorsal head; (92) male genitalia; (93) female dorsal head. C. effeminatus: (94) male dorsal head.

Figures 1–18. Columbicola columbae: (1) dorsal-ventral male. Columbicola male: (2) metanotal margin with two long, two short setal pattern; (3) metanotal margin with three long, one short setal pattern; (4) dorsoanterior head—a5anterior medial head setae (AMHS), b5posterior medial head setae (PMHS); (5) genitalia, width (GW); (6) body measurements—head length (HL), dorsoanterior head plate width (APW), head width (HW), scape length (SL), prothorax width (PW), metathorax width (MW), total length (TL). C. columbae: (7) male dorsal head (arrow5medioposterior head setae); (8) male genitalia; (9) female dorsal head; (10) female ventral terminalia. C. bacillus: (11) male genitalia; (12) female ventral terminalia. C. stresemanni: (13) male dorsal head; (14) female dorsal head. C. claviformis: (15) male dorsal head; (16) male genitalia; (17) female ventral terminalia. C. tschulyschman: (18) male dorsal head.

Figures 58–77. Columbicola oenae: (58) female dorsal head; (59) male genitalia; (60) female ventral terminalia. C. senegalensis: (61) male dorsal-ventral head. C. theresae: (62) male dorsal head; (63) female dorsal head; (64) male genitalia; (65) female ventral terminalia. C. deboomi: (66) male genitalia; (67) male dorsal head. C. orientalis: (68) male genitalia; (69) female ventral terminalia. C. hoogstraali: (70) male genitalia; (71) female ventral terminalia. C. cicchinoi: (72) male genitalia; (73) female ventral terminalia. C. carrikeri: (74) male genitalia; (75) female ventral terminalia. C. angustus: (76) male genitalia; (77) female ventral terminalia.