Tinamotaecola nanus, Cicchino, Armando C., Valim, Michel P. & González-Acuña, Daniel, 2014

Cicchino, Armando C., Valim, Michel P. & González-Acuña, Daniel, 2014, A review of the louse genus Tinamotaecola (Insecta: Phthiraptera: Philopteridae sensu lato), with description of a new species, Zootaxa 3835 (3), pp. 349-363 : 355-357

Tinamotaecola nanus new species

( Figs 8–11 , 15 )

Tinamotaecola n. sp.; Ward 1957: 350.

Tinamotaecola n. sp.; Cicchino & Castro 1998: 121.

Type host. Tinamotis ingoufi Oustalet, 1890 , the Patagonian tinamou.

Diagnosis. A member of the andinae species-group, distinguishable from the other two species in the group by its much smaller body measurements of the two sexes. Males are also distinguishable from T. elegans by having a greater number of sternal setae. Female chaetotaxy is very similar to that of T. elegans , but the vulvar margin has fewer setae (30 against 39–45).

Male: General habitus as in Fig. 8 . Metanotum with 10 setae. Paratergal setae: segments II–III 0, IV 1, V 2, VI–VIII 3. Tergal setae: II 9, III 12, IV 10, V 9, VI 6, VII 4, VIII 2. Sternal setae: II 6, III 8, IV 8, V 8, VI 4. Genitalia similar to those of T. andinae , but consistently much smaller ( Fig. 15 ). Body measurements: HL 0.479, POW 0.379, OW 0.421, PL 0.189, PW 0.284, PTL 0.184, PTW 0.389, AL 0.842, AW 0.611, GL 0.374, GW 0.124, TL 1.642.

Female: General habitus as in Fig. 9 . Metanotum with 10 setae. Paratergal setae: segments II–III 0, IV 1, V–VIII 2. Tergal setae: II 9, III 11, IV 12, V 10, VI 10, VIII 6, VIII 4. Sternal setae: II 6, III 8, IV 10, V–VI 8. Vulva with 11–12 long and 7 short spiniform setae on each side (total 36–38). Body measurements: HL 0.556, POW 0.433, OW 0.500, PL 0.211, PW 0.322, PTL 0.222, PTW 0.478, AL 1.211, AW 0.778, TL 2.133.

Nymph III: General habitus as in Fig. 10 . Metanotum with 10 (5+5) posterior setae. Body measurements: HL 0.467, POW 0.360, OW 0.427, PL 0.173, PW 0.133, PTL 0.173, PTW 0.360, AL 0.653, AW 0.467, TL 1.533.

Nymph II: General habitus as in Fig. 11 . Metanotum with 8 (4+4) posterior setae. Body measurements: HL 0.400, POW 0.307, OW 0.347, PL 0.133, PW 0.107, PTL 0.160, PTW 0.380, AL 0.547, AW 0.400, TL 1.160.

Etymology. the species epithet “ nanus ” (Latin = dwarf) refers to the small size of this species, being the smallest among all known Tinamotaecola species.

Specimens examined. Ex Tinamotis ingoufi : Holotype ♂, 1♀ paratype, 3 N II, 2 N III, Tellier, Departamento Deseado, Provincia Santa Cruz, Argentina, 20 Sep. 1962 (MLP).

Remarks. This species was mentioned by Ward (1957: 350) as a possible new species and Cicchino & Castro (1998: 121) noted the presence of this undescribed taxon in Argentina. Yet, Hellenthal et al. (2002) did not mention this undescribed taxon. The type locality, superimposed on the host geographical range is shown in Fig. 20 .

Figures

FIGURE 20. Geographical ranges of Cariama cristata, Chunga burmeisteri (Cariamidae), Tinamotis spp. and Eudromia spp. (Tinamiformes), showing sites where species of Tinamotaecola were collected from them.

FIGURES 8 – 9. Tinamotaecola nanus: 8, male; 9, female.

FIGURES 10 – 11. Tinamotaecola nanus: 10, third nymphal instar (N III); 11, second nymphal instar (N II).

FIGURES 14 – 18. Male genitalia: 14, Tinamotaecola andinae; 15, T. nanus; 16, T. zyskowskii. Male internal genital sac: 17, Tinamotaecola zyskowskii. Female vulva: 18, Tinamotaecola wardi.