Saepocephalum stephenfryi Bush 2017, new species
Creators: name: Bush, Sarah E.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2017
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Phthiraptera
Philopteridae
Saepocephalum
Saepocephalum stephenfryi

description: Saepocephalum stephenfryi Gustafsson & Bush, new species
(Figs 238–245)
Type host. Corcorax melanoramphos (Vieillot, 1817) — white-winged chough. Type locality. 10 km S of Wyalong, New South Wales, Australia.
Diagnosis. Saepocephalum stephenfryi n. sp. is separated from all other known Brueelia -complex species by the combination of the following unique characters: tergopleurites do not reach lateral margins of abdomen and pleural incrassations run only along anterior margin of tergopleurites (Figs 238–239); cross-piece laterally detached from female subgenital plate (Fig. 245); parameral heads with ridges anteriorly (Fig. 244). In addition, the following characters set Sa. stephenfryi apart from most other species of the complex: clypeo-labral suture does not reach the frons and ventral anterior plate is continuous with marginal carina (Fig. 240) as in Harpactrox n. gen. (Fig. 248) and Anarchonirmus n. gen. (Fig. 116); mesosomal lobes fused distally (Fig. 243); pst1–2 both sensilla; dorsal preantennal suture absent or present only around ads (Fig. 240) as in some Priceiella n. gen. (Fig. 279); antennae sexually dimorphic (Figs 240–241). The differences between Saepocephalum and these genera are outlined in the genus description above.
Description. Both sexes. Head shape, structure, and chaetotaxy as in genus description and Fig. 240; pts and pns very short, not visible in all specimens examined. Dorsal anterior suture surrounding ads not present in all specimens examined. Thoracic and abdominal segments as in genus description and Figs 238–239. Antero-lateral thickenings of tergopleurites variable between specimens, typically arched.
Male. Antennae as in Fig. 240, scape swollen and elongated. Abdominal chaetotaxy as in Table 2 and Fig. 238. Basal apodeme (Fig. 242) with diffuse anterior end, much widened. Proximal mesosome slender, elongated, overlapping with basal apodeme; anterior margin thickened. Gonopore ventral (Fig. 243), widely open distally, with bifurcate distal ends (Fig. 180). Mesosomal lobes fused distally, slender; 2 pmes on lateral margins of each lobe. Parameral heads (Fig. 244) roughly rectangular, with serrated posterior margin and prominent ridges. Parameral blades much elongated, slender, with distinct heel just distal to mesosome; pst1–2 both sensilla. Measurements ex Corcorax melanorhamphos (n = 1, due to mounting of specimen HL and TL cannot be measured): HW = 0.40; PRW = 0.20; PTW = 0.40; AW = 0.64.
Female. Antennae as in Fig. 241. Abdominal chaetotaxy as in Table 2 and Fig. 239. Subgenital plate (Fig. 245) funnel-shaped, reaching vulval margin. Vulval margin (Fig. 245) with lateral marginal plates unconnected to subgenital plate (except on one side in one specimen). Vulval margin (Fig. 245) gently rounded, bulging somewhat medianly, with 3–4 short, slender vms on each side, and 4–7 (in one specimen 3) thorn-like vss on each side, lateral vss progressively more spool-like; 4–7 long, slender vos; distal 1–3 vos median to vss. Measurements ex Corcorax melanorhamphos (n = 5): TL = 1.80–2.04; HL = 0.39–0.42; HW = 0.43–0.46; PRW = 0.21–0.23; PTW = 0.39– 0.45; AW = 0.61–0.70.
Etymology. The species epithet is in honour of the actor, comedian, writer, and unique intellectual Stephen Fry (b. 1957), whose productions have delighted, entertained, provoked, and educated DG during the writing of this revision. Just as this is a revision of one, often misunderstood, complex of lice, Stephen Fry's quiz show “ QI ” can be seen as a revision of the complexity of human knowledge, one misunderstanding at the time.
Type material. Ex Corcorax melanoramphos: Holotype ♂, 10 km S of Wyalong, New South Wales, Australia, 23 Jul. 2001, K.P. Johnson (NHML). Paratypes: 1♀, same data as holotype (PIPeR); 2♀, Queensland, Australia, R. Balter, Brit. Mus. 1969-113 (NHML); 1♀, Wellington, New South Wales, Australia, Brit. Mus. 1969- 443 (NHML); 1♀, 10 miles NW of Albury, New South Wales, Australia, 1964, Harold Hall Expedition, 1964.17.139.B.15, Brit. Mus. 1969-113 (NHML).
description: Published as part of Bush, Sarah E., 2017, Morphological revision of the hyperdiverse Brueelia - complex (Insecta: Phthiraptera: Ischnocera: Philopteridae) with new taxa, checklists and generic key, pp. 1-443 in Zootaxa 4313 (1) on pages 151-154, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4313.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/883161