Brueelia Kéler, 1936

Gustafsson, Daniel R. & Bush, Sarah E., 2025, New species group and four new species of Brueelia Kéler, 1936 (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera) from African buntings (Passeriformes: Emberizidae), European Journal of Taxonomy 1004, pp. 19-38 : 21-22

Genus Brueelia Kéler, 1936

Philopterus Nitzsch, 1818: 288 [in partim].

Nirmus Nitzsch, 1818: 291 [in partim].

Degeeriella Neumann, 1906: 60 [in partim].

Allobrueelia Eichler, 1951: 36 [in partim].

Nigronirmus Złotorzycka, 1964: 248 .

Spironirmus Złotorzycka, 1964: 261 .

Serinirmus Soler Cruz et al., 1987: 244 .

Plesionirmus Mey, 2017: 144 .

Neosittiella Mey, 2017: 149 .

Type species

Brueelia rossittensis Kéler, 1936: 257

[= Brueelia brachythorax ( Giebel, 1874: 134) ] by original designation.

anomala species group includes:

Brueelia anomala sp. nov.

Brueelia kalaharicae sp. nov.

Brueelia saharae sp. nov.

Brueelia semicingulata sp. nov.

Remarks

The four species described here belong to the genus Brueelia s. str., but constitute a distinct species group within this genus, characterised by the presence of a dorsal preantennal suture that reaches the ads on each side, but does not reach the lateral margin of the head ( Fig. 3 ). Apart from Brueelia kalaharicae sp. nov., all species also have antero-lateral extensions of the gonopore ( Fig. 5 ), which are not found in any other known species of Brueelia .

The only previously known species in the genus with a dorsal preantennal suture is Brueelia phasmasoma Gustafsson & Bush, 2017 , known from the Caribbean bananaquit, Coereba flaveola luteola ( Cabanis, 1850) . This species has a more extensive suture, which reaches both the lateral margins of the head, and the hyaline margin at the frons, thus completely encircling the dorsal preantennal plate ( Gustafsson & Bush 2017: fig. 58). There seems to be no reason to assume that these two groups are closely related; it is more likely that the dorsal preantennal suture has evolved twice within Brueelia .

The hosts of the three species belong to the African ‘brown buntings’ (sensu Olsson et al. 2013), which constitute a separate radiation within the Old World emberizids ( Alström et al. 2008). Apart from the species described here, we have examined material at the NHMUK from both Emberiza capensis Linnaeus, 1766 , and Emberiza impetuani Smith, 1836 . The specimens from both these host species are all female, and belong to the anomala species group. In the absence of males, we do not describe this material further here, but note that based on head shapes, material from each of these two hosts may represent distinct species.

The African ‘brown bunting’ radiation is closely related to the African ‘yellow bunting’ radiation ( Alström et al. 2008). Brueelia kalaharicae sp. nov. is described from a host in this radiation. In addition, we have examined a single female from E. cabanisi orientalis ( Shelley, 1882) , which belongs to the anomala species group. This specimen was included in the phylogeny of Bush et al. (2016: fig. 3e, clade I-2, specimen 55), but its placement near Brueelia spp. from fringillid and sylviid hosts was not well supported. Additional samples from emberizid hosts may help to resolve the relationships of these lice within the Brueelia -complex. Unfortunately, no male specimens have been seen; consequently, we do not describe this species here.

It is likely that the anomala species group occurs throughout the African ‘brown and yellow buntings’ radiation. The anomala species group appears to be a mainly Afro-Arabian radiation within Brueelia , and no specimen of Brueelia from other emberizids we have examined belongs to this species group. The anomala species group thus forms the second species group within Brueelia limited to mainly African hosts, the other being the clara species group ( Gustafsson & Bush 2015).

All species in this species group belong to the subgenus Br. ( Brueelia ).

Figures

Figs 3–7. Brueelia anomala sp. nov. ex Emberiza striolata striolata (Lichtenstein, 1823). 3–5. Holotype, ♂ (NHMUK010693762). 3. Head, dorsal and ventral view. 4. Genitalia, dorsal view. 5. Mesosome, ventral view. 6. Paratype, ♂ (NHMUK010693762), paramere, dorsal view. 7. Paratype, ♀ (NHMUK010693762), subgenital plate and vulval margin, ventral view.