Paraphilopterus Mey 2004
Creators: name: Gustafsson, Daniel R.
name: Bush, Sarah E.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2014
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Phthiraptera
Philopteridae
Paraphilopterus

description: Paraphilopterus Mey, 2004
Type species: Paraphilopterus styloideus Mey, 2004 (by original designation).
Host distribution. With the new records detailed below, the genus Paraphilopterus is now known from three different host families: Corcoracidae (one louse species), Cnemophilidae (one louse species), and Ptilonorhynchidae (one louse species). These host families are not closely related (Aggerbeck et al. 2014) which, given the sparse sampling in the region, suggests that Paraphilopterus may be under-sampled. Additional material from other birds in the Australo-Papuan region is needed to further evaluate the host specificity of this genus.
Geographical range. Australia and Papua New Guinea. All known host families are endemic to the Australo- Papuan region.
Diagnosis. Largely as described by Mey (2004: 188). Head trapezoidal, postantennal area slightly wider than preantennal area (Figs 1, 5). Preantennal area of type D2 (sensu Mey 2004). Marginal carina widely interrupted medianly and indented, but not interrupted, laterally. Hyaline margin wide, extending laterally, not thickened medianly. Hyaline margin and anterior margin of dorsal anterior plate shallowly concave. Ventral carina interrupted medianly, recurved in hairpin-loop (Fig. 1). Dorsal preantennal suture encircles dorsal anterior plate completely. ADS on posterior margin of dorsal anterior plate. AS 3 and AS 1 dorsal. Dorsal anterior plate with posterior median projection prominent (Figs 11–13). Coni slender. Trabecula present, large. Antennae not sexually dimorphic. Scape with one thick, long seta on anterior margin. Pedicel with two thick, long setae on ventral surface. POS on or just behind eye. Setae: OS, MTS1, and MTS3 long.
Pronotum (Figs 3–4, 7–8) with one pronotal post-spiracular seta (PPSS see Mey 1994: 77) median to spiracle opening on each side. 0–2 posterior submarginal setae on pronotum, near midline. Pteronotal row of setae interrupted sublaterally (Figs 3–4) or continuous (Figs 7–8).
Tergites II–VIII medianly divided (Figs 3–4, 7–8); tergite IX+X medianly continuous in both sexes, arched anteriorly. Postero-lateral extensions of tergites II–III large, blunt. Tergal setae in medianly continuous rows. Postspiracular setae present on tergites III–VII. Sternites and male subgenital plate not visible. No spine-like setae on sternal plates. Female subgenital plate present on segments VI–VII, irregularly shaped, weakly sclerotized, margins indistinct. No sternal plates posterior to vulval margin.
Male genitalia typical of the Philopterus complex (Figs 2, 6): basal plate long, slender, tongue-like, but widening distally. Distal margin of basal plate thickened. Mesomere fused to basal plate, protruding beyond distal margin of basal plate. Two pores on lateral margins of mesomere, generally visible only from the lateral side on specimens with distorted genitalia. Three minute setae visible on each side of mesomere, near bases of parameres. Parameres short, lobe-like, with no visible division from distal end of basal plate. Distal parameres with one large pore postero-laterally and one minute seta apically. Genital opening with three minute setae on each side.
Females of all known Paraphilopterus species have paired pseudostyli (Mey 2004: 196 = “paarigem griffelartigem Fortsatz” sensu Mey 2004: 188) on the 11Th abdominal segment (Figs 9–10). Each pseudostylus is associated with three minute setae (setae a–c, Figs 9–10): seta a positioned at the base of the pseudostylus, seta b either at the base (as in P. styloideus) or on the median margin (as in species described here), and seta c distally on median the margin of the pseudostylus.
Discussion. The preantennal area of Paraphilopterus is structurally similar to those of some species of Philopteroides Mey, 2004 but broader, with lateral margins almost parallel. The hyaline margin is shallowly concave as in Ph. beckeri species-group of Philopteroides, but median section not sclerotized. Unlike in Philopteroides, the hyaline margin of Paraphilopterus is not confined medianly, but extends to lateral margins of the preantennal head. Seta MTS2 is short, and MTS1 and MTS3 are long (MTS2 only long MTS in Philopteroides). Submarginal pronotal setae (PSMS, see Mey 1994: 77) present on all species except P. meyi n. sp. (but see this species). There are no thorn-like setae on ventral abdomen. Male genitalia with minute setae on the distal margin of basal plate and distal end of parameres, unlike those of Philopteroides. Females Paraphilopterus separated from those of Philopteroides by the lack of sternal plates posterior to vulval margin and the presence of conspicuous pseudostyli in Paraphilopterus (see Valim & Palma 2013 for features of Philopteroides).
description: Published as part of Gustafsson, Daniel R. & Bush, Sarah E., 2014, Two new species of Paraphilopterus Mey, 2004 (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera: Philopteridae) from New Guinean bowerbirds (Passeriformes: Ptilonorhynchidae) and satinbirds (Passeriformes: Cnemophilidae), pp. 155-164 in Zootaxa 3873 (2) on pages 156-157, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3873.2.3, http://zenodo.org/record/228693