Lagopoecus liui Gustafsson & Li & Tian & Ren & Sun & Zou 2025, sp. nov.

Lagopoecus liui sp. nov. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 131E9717-7874-470B-BA80-37B42B878F78 Figs 8–13; Table 1 Differential diagnosis Lagopoecus liui sp. nov. belongs in the Lagopoecus affinis species group, within which it is most similar to Lagopoecus sinensis (Sugimoto, 1930) and Lagopoecus tragopani Liu, 1989, with which it shares the following characters: elongated male endomere and penile sclerite (Fig. 12); lateral thickenings of the endomere forming an almost complete transversal arch (Fig. 12); dorsal preantennal suture reaching dsms (Fig. 10); other characters listed above for the L. affinis species group. Lagopoecus liui can be separated from L. sinensis by the following combination of characters (see Gustafsson et al. 2024a for illustrations of L. sinensis): head proportionately narrowed and longer in L. liu (Fig. 10) than in L. sinensis; dorsal preantennal suture more arched in L. liui (Fig. 10) than in L. sinensis; both sexes of L. liui with 1 tps on each side of tergopleurites II–VII (Figs 8–9), but these tergopleurites each have 2–3 tps on each side in L. sinensis; distal male endomere narrower and extended beyond parameres in L. liui (Fig. 12), but broader and not extended beyond parameres in L. sinensis; lateral thickenings of the endomere (Fig. 12) also differ between species. Female vulval chaetotaxy overlaps between species, but L. liui typically has fewer vss than L. sinensis (2–5 vs 5–6) on each side. Lagopoecus liui can be separated from L. tragopani by the following combination of characters (see Gustafsson et al. 2024a for illustrations of L. tragopani): preantennal head more similar to postantennal head in width in L. liu (Fig. 10) than in L. tragopani; both sexes of L. liui with 2 tergocentral setae on each side of tergopleurites III–VII (Figs 8–9), but these tergopleurites each have 3–4 tergocentral setae on each side in L. tragopani; male endomere narrowed distally and extended distal to parameres in L. liui (Fig. 12), but more broadly rounded distally, and not reaching past parameres in L. tragopani; lateral thickenings of the endomere (Fig. 12) also differ between species, and in examined specimens of L. tragopani the long setae associated with the penile sclerite cannot be seen, although this may be specific to these specimens. Female vulval chaetotaxy partially overlap between species, but L. tragopani have more vms than L. liui (15–18 vs 9–10). Etymology Lagopoecus liui is named in honour of the late Liu Sikong, previously at the National Natural History Museum of China, Beijing, who collected and identified many of the specimens currently deposited at this museum, and which formed the basis for much of our recent checklist of the Ischnocera of China (Gustafsson et al. 2024a). His publication record on avian Phthiraptera is small, but he remains the most prolific Chinese author of new ischnoceran species to date. Moreover, Liu described many of the species of Lagopoecus known from China (Liu 1989). Unfortunately, no other biographical details are known tous. Type material Holotype (ex Lophura nycthemera fokiensis) CHINA • ♂; Fujian Province, Wuyi Mountain; Jan. 1990; collector unknown; box E0026075, slide 78 [marked with black dot on slide]; NMHC. Paratypes (ex Lophura nycthemera fokiensis) CHINA • 4 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; Fujian Province, Wuyi Mountain; Jan. 1990; collector unknown; box E0026075; slide 76; NHMC • 6 ♀♀; Fujian Province, Wuyi Mountain; Jan. 1990; collector unknown; box E0026075; slide 77; NHMC • 6 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀; Fujian Province, Wuyi Mountain; Jan. 1990; collector unknown; box E0026075; slide 78; NHMC • 6 ♀♀; Fujian Province, Wuyi Mountain; Jan. 1990; collector unknown; box E0026075; slide 79; NHMC • 7 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀; Fujian Province, Wuyi Mountain; Jan. 1990; collector unknown; box E0026075; slide 80; NHMC • 2 ♂♂, 7 ♀♀; Fujian Province, Wuyi Mountain; Jan. 1990; collector unknown; box E0026075; slide 82; NHMC • 3 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀; Fujian Province, Wuyi Mountain; Jan. 1990; collector unknown; box E0026075; slide 83; NHMC • 5 ♂♂, 6 ♀♀, 1 nymph; Fujian Province, Wuyi Mountain; Jan. 1990; collector unknown; box E0026075; slide 84; NHMC • 1 ♂♂, 3 nymphs; Fujian Province, Wuyi Mountain; Jan. 1990; collector unknown; box E0026075; slide 85; NHMC • 4 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; Fujian Province, Wuyi Mountain; Jan. 1990; collector unknown; box E0026075; slide 86; NHMC • 1 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; Fujian Province; 2 Mar. 1996; collector unknown; box E0026075; slide 73; NHMC • 6 ♀♀; Fujian Province; 8 Mar. 1996; collector unknown; box E0026075, slide 88; NHMC • 1 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀; Fujian Province; 8 Mar. 1996; collector unknown; box E0026075, slide 89; NHMC • 5 ♂♂; Fujian Province; 8 Mar. 1996; collector unknown; box E0026075, slide 90; NHMC • 3 ♂♂, 5 ♀♀; Fujian Province; 8 Mar. 1996; collector unknown; box E0026075, slide 91; NHMC. Type host Lophura nycthemera fokiensis Delacour, 1948 – Silver Pheasant (Galliformes: Phasianidae). Type locality Wuyi Mountain, Fujian Province, China. Description Both sexes Head rounded trapezoidal, frons somewhat flattened (Fig. 10). Marginal carina comparatively broad. Dorsal preantennal suture present. Area anterior to dorsal preantennal suture with internal thickenings. Head structure and chaetotaxy as in Fig. 10. Most post-antennal sensilla not visible in examined specimens. Ocular setae relatively short compared to mts1 and mts3. Thoracic and abdominal segments and chaetotaxy as in Figs 8–9. Sclerotised plates of head, thorax and abdomen without noticeable reticulation. Male Subgenital plate not visible. Abdominal chaetotaxy: ss present on segments II–VIII; single tps present on segments II–VIII; psps present on segments III–VII; aps absent; ps present on segments IV–VIII. Basal apodeme slender (Figs 11–12). Endomere elongated, projecting beyond parameres distally; lateral margins of endomere with complicated thickenings (Fig. 12), which arch medianly at about half-length but do not form a complete arch across the endomere; penile sclerite seemingly soft in distal part. Genital chaetotaxy: 1 apmes sensillum present on each side of base of penile sclerite; 1 gpmes seta present on base of penile sclerite, length ~⅓ of length of sclerite; 2–3 lpmes microsetae visible near lateral margins of mesosome on each side. Parameres triangular, convergent; pst1–2 both subapical. Measurements as in Table 1. Female Abdominal chaetotaxy: ss present on segments II–VIII; single tps present on segments II–VIII; psps present on segments III–VII; aps absent; ps present on segments IV–VIII. Female subgenital plate absent (Fig. 13). Lateral halves on vulval margin bulging strongly on each side (Fig. 13), and median section with smaller bulge; 9–10 long, slender vms and 2–5 short, thorn-like vss on each side, with 2–3 additional short, slender setae on each side of median bulge; 5 short, slender vos on each side. Measurements as in Table 1.