Philopteroides flavala Najer & Sychra, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Najer, Tomas
name: Sychra, Oldrich
name: Hung, Nguyen Manh
name: Capek, Miroslav
name: Podzemny, Petr
name: Literak, Ivan
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2012
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Phthiraptera
Philopteridae
Philopteroides
Philopteroides flavala

description: Philopteroides flavala Najer & Sychra, sp. nov.
(Figs. 1, 2 A–G, 5 A–B)
Type host: Hemixos flavala Blyth, 1845, the Ashy Bulbul.
Male (n = 4). Habitus as in Figs. 2 A and 5A. Head longer than wide, the preantennal region longer than the postantennal, with concave lateral margin. Central sclerotization placed in the concave hyaline margin of head with somewhat enlarged and convex (Figs. 2 B and 2F). Dorsal anterior head plate with concave anterior margin, ventral one with a little concave to almost straight anterior margin as in Figs. 1, 2 B and 2F. Metanotum with 6–8 setae on each side including one minute seta associated with long seta in each lateral end of the metanotum. Metapleurite with one short seta. Tergal setae: II, 9–10 (plus anterior pair); III, 10–12; IV, 10; V, 9–11; VI, 10–11; VII, 10–11; VIII, 6–9; IX, 2; sternal setae: II, 5–8; III–IV, 7–8; V, 7–10; VI, 9–12 including 2 short spine-like setae on each sternite (Fig. 2 C). Sternite II very reduced. Sternite II–III and the posterior part of male subgenital plate with small rounded lateral sclerites, all other sternites entire without lateral sclerites (Fig. 2 C); subgenital plate as in Fig. 2 C, with 4 long setae. Pleural setae: II–III, 0; IV with 2 medium long setae on each pleurite; V, 2 and VI–VIII, 3, longer than setae on pleurites IV–V. Male genitalia as in Figs. 1 and 2 D with stout parameres with short latero-anterior processes and rounded mesomere with small posterior lobe on each side. Dimensions: PAW, 0.31–0.32; FW, 0.13–0.15; PAL, 0.25–0.26; LHCL, 0.13–0.14; DAPW, 0.11–0.12; DAPL, 0.23–0.25; TW, 0.40–0.42; POL, 0.15–0.17; HL, 0.46–0.49; PW, 0.25–0.31; ML, 0.14–0.16; MW, 0.36–0.42; AWV, 0.51–0.62; AL, 0.50–0.61; GW, 0.09; TL, 1.24–1.36.
Female (n = 11). General habitus as in Figs. 1 and 5 B. Most features as in male (Fig. 2 E). Metanotum with 7–9 setae on each side including one minute seta associated with long seta in each lateral end of the metanotum. Tergal setae: II, 9–11 (plus anterior pair); III, 10–13; IV, 12–13; V, 10–14; VI, 11–14; VII, 10–12; VIII, 5–8; IX, 2; sternal setae: II, 6–9; III–V, 8–11; VI, 10–11, including 2 short spine-like setae on each sternite (Fig. 2 G). Numbers of pleural setae as in male, setae on each pleurite IV and V longer, approximately the same length as setae on tergite IV and pleural setae on VI. Abdominal sternites with small rounded lateral sclerites, with relatively large gap between them and sternal plates. Subgenital plate as in Fig. 2 G, with 4 long setae placed behind the posterior margin of the plate. Vulval margin with groups of 6–7 setae on each side and 6–9 minute setae in the central part. Dimensions: PAW, 0.34–0.38; FW, 0.13–0.16; PAL, 0.28–0.29; LHCL, 0.14–0.20; DAPW, 0.12–0.13; DAPL, 0.24–0.28; TW, 0.45–0.48; POL, 0.17–0.20; HL, 0.50–0.55; PW, 0.29–0.34; ML, 0.16–0.20; MW, 0.41–0.48; AWV, 0.65–0.71; AL, 0.67–0.85; TL, 1.51–1.72.
Type material. Holotype male ex Hemixos flavala Blyth, 1845, VIETNAM: Botanical Garden, Cuc Phuong, Province of Ninh Binh (20°15' N 105°42' E), 7 February 2010, coll. I. Literak, in IEBR VAST (O.Sychra V24). Paratypes: 1 female with the same data as holotype in IEBR VAST (O. Sychra V24); 1 male, 1 female with the same data as holotype in MMBC (O. Sychra V25); 1 male, 1 female with the same data as holotype in BMNH (O. Sychra V26); 1 male, 1 female ex Hemixos castanonotus Swinhoe, 1870, other data as in holotype, in IEBR VAST (O.Sychra V27); 2 females with the same data but in MMBC (O.Sychra V28) and 2 females with the same data data but in BMNH (O.Sychra V29).
Remarks. Although Clay (1972) mentioned Philopterus sp. from Hemixos flavala (= Hypsipetes flavulus), this is the first determination of a chewing louse from this host to the species level, and the first record of chewing lice from Hemixos castanonotus. There are 5 known species of Philopteroides in Southeast Asia (Giebel 1874; Uchida 1948; Tandan 1955; Mey 2004); Philopteroides flavala sp. nov. is morphologically closest to Philopteroides cucphuongensis Mey, 2004, with these two species differing greatly from the remaining, as shown by Mey (2004).
Philopteroides flavala is the second species of Philopteroides known from the passerine family Pycnonotidae, as well as the second species of Philopteroides found in Vietnam, with P. cucphuongensis being the first in both cases. The new species can be morphologically distinguished from the latter by the following features: (1) an unique shape of male genitalia with stout parameres with short latero-anterior processes and rounded mesomere with a small posterior lobe on each side; (2) smaller median sternites and large gaps between them and the lateral sclerites in females; (3) relatively large dimensions, compared to P. cucphuongensis.
Etymology. The species epithet derives from the species name of the type host.
description: Published as part of Najer, Tomas, Sychra, Oldrich, Hung, Nguyen Manh, Capek, Miroslav, Podzemny, Petr & Literak, Ivan, 2012, New species and new records of chewing lice (Phthiraptera: Amblycera and Ischnocera) from bulbuls (Passeriformes: Pycnonotidae) in Vietnam, pp. 37-48 in Zootaxa 3357 on pages 39-42, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.214734