Megalipeurus sinensis Gustafsson & Lei & Chu & Zou 2020, new species

Megalipeurus sinensis new species

(Figs 17, 30, 60–62, 85, 90, 94)

Type host. Arborophila gingica (Gmelin, 1789) —white-necklaced partridge.

Type locality. South eastern China.

Diagnosis. Only two other species of Megalipeurus have pointed frons: M. unicolor and M. songprakobi. Megalipeurus sinensis is most similar to M. unicolor, based on the shape of the frons (lateral sections of frons concave in both these species, but more or less straight in M. songprakobi), the long, slender parameres (short in M. songprakobi), and male tergopleurite VIII being medianly continuous in both species (medianly separate in M. songprakobi). Megalipeurus sinensis can be separated from M. unicolor by the following characters: frons more narrowly pointed in M. unicolor than in M. sinensis (Fig. 17); proximal margin of mesosome straight with angular lateral ends in M. unicolor, but with median depression separating two rounded lobes in M. sinensis (Fig. 62); distal lobes of mesosome smaller in M. unicolor than in M. sinensis (Fig. 62); gonopore with rhombic medio-anterior structure in M. unicolor, but with flaring triangular structure in M. sinensis.

Description.

Male. Head slender, frons convergent to blunt median point (Fig. 17), lateral margins of preantennal head convergent anteriorly. Marginal carina narrow, interrupted laterally. Dorsal preantennal suture medianly continuous, reaching far lateral to ads. Head chaetotaxy as in Fig. 17. Antennae as in Fig. 30; without tooth-like projection on scape; no rugose area on flagellomere I. Thoracic and abdominal plates and chaetotaxy as in Fig. 17. Reticulation weak, limited to lateral ends of tergopleurites. Subgenital plate as in Fig. 85, stylus short and blunt. Basal apodeme slender (Fig. 60). Anterior margin of mesosome with deep, narrow median depression, separating large, rounded lobes (Fig. 62). Distal mesosomal lobes large, overall shape somewhat square-shaped. Gonopore reaches distal margin of mesosome, with flaring triangular structure just proximal to opening. Parameres about twice as long as mesosome, slender (Fig. 61); parameral heads bifid; pst1 at about half-length of paramere, pst2 apical. Measurements as in Table 1.

Female. Unknown.

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the type locality, China.

Type material. Holotype ♂, S.E. China, Nov. 1897, R. Meinertzhagen, 3598, NHMUK010682553 (NHML) [specimen closest to label with louse information, marked with red dot on slide]. Paratype ♂, in same slide and with same data as holotype (NHML).

Remarks. The head sensillus s2 is not visible in either of the two males of M. sinensis examined, but is present in extralimital specimens of other species, including Megalipeurus tropicoperdix and M. unicolor. Specimens of M. sinensis collected in the future are likely to have head sensillus s2.