Eucolpocephalum femorale (Piaget, 1880)

(Figs 1c,d; 2c)

Specimens examined. 1♂ (SEHU #74901, # 94203) and 2♀ (SEHU #94204, # 94208) each mounted on a slide; 2♂ and 8♀ stored in alcohol (SEHU).

Diagnosis. The monotypic genus Eucolpocephalum can be diagnosed by the following combination of characters: Head short and broad; preantennal region with 3 long and 3 short setae on each side; temple broad transversely, with 6–7 long and 2–4 short setae. Male genitalia: parameres elongated and curved inwardly, with complex median sclerites as in Fig. 2c.

Remarks. The identification of E. femorale was based on the descriptions of Piaget (1880) for general morphology, Bedford (1930: 162, fig. 6) for head morphology, and Tuff (1966: 380) for chaetotaxy and the morphology of male genitalia. This species has been recorded from four spoonbill species and one ibis, as follows: Platalea leucorodia Linnaeus, 1758, Platalea ajaja (Linnaeus, 1758), Platalea alba Scopoli, 1786, Platalea regia Gould, 1838 and Phimosus infuscatus berlepschi Hellmayr, 1903, the bare-faced ibis (Price et al. 2003: 108). Ledger (1971: 98) suggested that the record of a male and female pair of E. femorale from the bare-faced ibis in Tuff (1966: 382) was probably erroneous and in need of confirmation. Our sample of E. femorale from Platalea minor is the first record from this host.