Philopteroides gigas Najer, Gustafsson
Creators: name: Najer, Tomas
name: Gustafsson, Daniel R.
name: Sychra, Oldrich
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Phthiraptera
Philopteridae
Philopteroides
Philopteroides gigas

description: Philopteroides gigas Najer, Gustafsson, and Sychra, new species
(Figs 1–2, 4, 6, 7 C–D. Tables 3–5)
Type host. Paramythia montium montium De Vis, 1892 (Passeriformes: Paramythiidae)—crested berrypecker. Type locality. Mur Mur Pass, Western Highlands District, Papua New Guinea. Other host. Paramythia montium brevicauda Mayr & Gilliard, 1954 (Passeriformes: Paramythiidae)—crested berrypecker.
Diagnosis. Philopteroides gigas is easily identifiable at first sight for its very large size when compared with other species of the genus (see Table 5). This species keys out to Ph. beckeri in Valim & Palma’s (2013) key, but differs from Ph. beckeri in the following characters: (1) marginal carina interrupted laterally in Ph. gigas (Fig. 4 C), not in Ph. beckeri; (2) spine-like sternal setae absent in Ph. gigas (Figs 4 A, E), present in Ph. beckeri; (3) male genitalia more elongated in Ph. gigas (Fig. 4 E) than in Ph. beckeri. For differences between Philopteroides gigas and Ph. sinancorellus, see above under Diagnosis of the Ph. sinancorellus.
Descriptions. Both sexes. Head as in Figs 1 D, 2, 4C, triangular, slightly longer than wide, with frons as well as occiput slightly concave, preantennal region as long as the postantennal, with concave lateral margins. Marginal carina divided medianly into a longer and thicker premarginal part, than the postmarginal. Hyaline margin with moderate central indentation and sclerotization along most of frons. Dorsal anterior plate as in Figs 4 A–C, E, elongated, with anterior margin slightly indented centrally, anterior lateral margins concave with posterior lateral margins convex and with distinct indentations on its postero-lateral corners. Ventral anterior plate trapezoidal with concave anterior and oblique postero-lateral margin as in Figs 4 A, C, E. Prothorax shorter than wide, one ppss sublaterally on each side. Prosternum without setae. Mesosternum oval, with slightly convex anterior and strongly convex posterior margin. Pterothorax wider than long with slightly convex lateral margins, moderately convex posterior margin with a median point at the same level as spiracle II; mms reaching level of spiracle IV, with the most lateral noticeably longer than the others. Tergopleurites II–VIII divided medianly, with setae noticeably long, always reaching at least to the level of spiracle of next segment. Tergopleural setae in both sexes very long, reaching behind the margin of next segment, with the most lateral pair longest. Pleural incrassations relatively narrow, streaky, equally wide in all their length. Leg chaetotaxy as in Fig. 6.
Male. Habitus as in Fig. 4 A. Metasternum not visible, with 2 setae on each side. Pterothorax with 4–6 mms, the most lateral seta long, the others medium-long, reaching the spiracle of tergopleurite III. Metapleurite with 1 long and 2 short setae on each side. Thoracic and abdominal chaetotaxy as in Fig. 4 A and Table 3. Sternites II–VI well developed and entire (Fig. 4 A). Median-most setae on sternite VI long, other sternal setae medium-sized, in some individuals (mainly submedian setae) do not extend beyond the posterior margin of next segment. Subgenital plate consisting of sternites VII–IX+X, with lateral indentations equivalent to spaces between sternites reaching to approximately quarter of their width, with one long seta present in each indentation. Genitalia as in Fig. 4 D, basal apodeme elongated, quadrangular, with concave lateral margins and the distal end wider than the proximal. Parameres fused with the basal plate with just quarter of length remaining free, and distal ends pointed. Mesosome fused to basal apodeme, with bowed anterior, with lateral ends sinuous, and with latero-anterior parts wider than medio-posterior parts. Measurements as in Table 5.
Female. Habitus as in Figs 2, 4 E. Metasternum hardly visible, with 2 setae on each side. Pterothorax with 5–7 mms on each side, the most lateral setae longer than the rest, which reach the spiracle of tergopleurites III. Metapleurite with 1 long and 3 short setae, anterior metasternum rounded, with straight posterior margin and 1 short and 1 medium-sized setae on each side. Thoracic and abdominal chaetotaxy as in Fig. 4 E and Table 4. Sternites II–VI well developed, with small lateral plates (Fig. 4 E). Sternal setae medium-sized, except for median setae on sternites IV–VI, which are long. Inner genital sclerites missing. Female subgenital plate, vestigial sternites VIII, subvulval sclerites, vulval margin and chaetotaxy as in Fig. 4 F. Subgenital plate (Fig. 4 F) formed by sternites VII–VIII, with scale-like pattern on its posterior half, and postero-lateral margin slightly concave with 2 long setae sublaterally on each side, and no median setae. Vulval margin with an anterior row of approximately 10 short setae and a posterior row of approximately 10 medium-sized setae (Fig. 4 F). Measurements as in Table 5.
Etymology. The species epithet derives from Latin “ gigas ” = “giant”, referring to the large size of this species.
Type material. Ex Paramythia montium montium: Holotype ♂ (Fig. 7 C): Mur Mur Pass, elev. 2808 m, Western Highlands, Papua New Guinea, 3 Jan. 1968, Nadchatram & Mirza, BBM-NG 60810. Paratypes: 4♂, 3♀ (Fig. 7 D), same data as holotype; 2♂, 2♀, same location as holotype, 29 Dec. 1967; 2♂, 3♀, Mt. Wilhelm, elev. 3200 m, Chimbu District, Papua New Guinea, 2 Jul. 1963, J.H. Sedlacek, BBM-NG 20050; 2♂, 2♀, Lake Louise, 17 miles WNW of Telefomin, elev. 2800 m, West Sepik, Papua New Guinea, 16–18 Apr. 1971, A.B. Mirza, BBMNG 100035 and 100050; 9♂, 11♀, Lake Louise, 17 miles WNW of Telefomin, elev. 2800 m, West Sepik, Papua New Guinea, 16–19 April 1971, A.B. Mirza, BBMNG 100036-37, 100050, 100053, 100056, 100076, 100078-79, 100081 and 100101; 6♂, 5♀, vic[inity of] Tambul, Mur Mur Pass, elev. 2808 m, Western Highlands, Papua New Guinea, 29 Dec. 1967 and 3 Jan. 1968, Nadchatram & Mirza, BBM-NG 60810 and 60714; 1♂, 1♀, Mt. Wilhelm, elev. 3200 m, Chimbu District, Papua New Guinea, 2 Jul. 1963, J.H. Sedlacek, BBM-NG20050; 1♀, Mt. Giluwe, elev. 3330 m, Southern Highlands District, Papua New Guinea, 1 Jun. 1963, J.H. Sedlacek, BBM-NG 20265.
description: Published as part of Najer, Tomas, Gustafsson, Daniel R. & Sychra, Oldrich, 2016, Two new species of Philopteroides (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera: Philopteridae) of the beckeri species-group, from New Guinean painted berrypeckers (Aves: Passeriformes: Paramythiidae), pp. 527-541 in Zootaxa 4139 (4) on pages 532-539, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4139.4.5, http://zenodo.org/record/265597