Valimia necopinata Gustafsson & Zou 2020, new species

(Figures 21–29)

Oxylipeurus polytrapezius polytrapezius (Burmeister); Clay 1938: 181 (In part Lipeurus polytrapezius Burmeister, 1838. 434; in part Valimia necopinata new species).

Type host: Meleagris gallopavo merriami Nelson, 1900 —turkey.

Type locality. Texas, United States.

Diagnosis. Valimia necopinata is most similar to V. polytrapezius, with which it shares the general structure of the gonopore and parameres (Figs 17–19, 26–28). However, these two species can be separated by the following characters: (1) male temples more or less straight in V. polytrapezia (Fig. 16), but clearly convex in V. necopinata (Fig. 25); (2) head sensillus s3 present in V. necopinata (Fig. 25), but absent in V. polytrapezia (Fig. 16); (3) different shape of male ventral terminalia (Figs 14, 23); (4) different shape of male tergopleurites IX+X–XI (Figs 12, 21); (5) stylus reaches to or slightly beyond distal margin of abdomen in V. necopinata (Fig. 23), but does not reach distal margin in V. polytrapezia (Fig. 14); (6) different shape of female ventral terminalia (Figs 15, 24); (7) female subgenital plate with broadly triangular posterior section that clearly extends beyond the posterior row of setae, with some of these setae situated on that plate in V. necopinata (Fig. 24), but female subgenital plate with slight posterior extension not reaching beyond setal row and with no setae situated on plate in V. polytrapezia (Fig. 15); (8) male genitalia with rugose area on each side of ventral mesosome clearly divided into two distinct nodi in V. necopinata (Fig. 28), but continuous along lateral margins of mesosome in V. polytrapezia (Fig. 19); (9) lateral sclerites of male gonopore with an antero-lateral bulge and with anterior margin flat in V. necopinata (Fig. 28), but without such bulge and anterior margin convex in V. polytrapezia (Fig. 19).

Description. Male. As in Fig. 21. Head structure, shape, and chaetotaxy as in Fig. 25; s 8 absent. Preantennal area comparatively broad. Antennae as in Fig. 25. Lateral margins of temples clearly convex. Thoracic and abdominal segments, reticulation patterns, and chaetotaxy as in Fig. 21; pronotum with intense reticulation only near midline in posterior half; pteronotum with anterior half less intensely reticulated. Abdominal segment XI without lateral lobes. Stylus of subgenital plate extends beyond distal margin of abdomen (Fig. 23). Male genitalia as in Figs 26–28. Basal apodeme slender, with slightly concave lateral margins and rounded proximal end. Mesosome (Fig. 28, non-everted) longer than broad, anterior margin concave, distal and lateral margins with two distinct rugose areas on each side, separated by smooth area; distal rugose area nearly continuous medianly, but slight median incision separating the distal mesosome into two distinct ventral lobes; gonopore as in Fig. 28. Parameres (Fig. 27) without both distinct lateral ridge and twist; pst1 terminal sensilla, pst2 terminal microseta. Measurements in Table 2.

Female. As in Fig. 22. Head sensilla largely as in male, except s7 absent. Antennae as in Fig. 29. Thoracic and abdominal segments, reticulation patterns, and chaetotaxy as in Fig. 22. Ventral terminalia as in Fig. 24, with anterior half of subgenital plate bearing a broadly triangular posterior margin, and without a yoke-shaped thickening. Vulval margin u-shaped, widely and deeply concave. Subvulval plates with large, roughly triangular anterior ends. Measurements in Table 2.

Type material. Holotype ♂, Texas,[United States], Oct.1900, R. Meinertzhagen, bird3148, NHMUK010682548 (NHML). Paratypes: 7♂, 9♀, same data as holotype, NHMUK010682547, NHMUK010682550, NHMUK010682557–558 (NHML). 1♂, 4♀, Texas, [United States], Oct. 1900, R. Meinertzhagen, bird 3147, NHMUK010682543, NHMUK010682545, NHMUK010682549 (NHML).

Remarks. The holotype of Valimia necopinata is the only specimen mounted on slide NHMUK010682548. However, several paratypes are mounted on the same slides as specimens of V. polytrapezia. Slides with numbers NHMUK010682543, NHMUK010682547, NHMUK010682549 and NHMUK010682550 have lice of both species. To differentiate them, we have marked those of V. polytrapezia with red dots on the slides, and the specimens not marked comprise the type series of V. necopinata.