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Type: Article
Published: 2026-08-04
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Three new species of chewing lice (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera) from monarch flycatchers (Passeriformes: Monarchidae) and the influence of host habitat on host-louse associations in the Brueelia-complex

Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization; Guangdong Public Library of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization; Institute of Zoology; Guangdong Academy of Sciences; 105 Xingang West Road; Haizhu District; Guangzhou; 510260; Guangdong Province; China.
Phthiraptera Chewing lice Brueelia-complex Brueelia sensu stricto Guimaraesiella new species flycatchers Monarchidae

Abstract

Three new species of lice in the Brueelia-complex (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera) are described and illustrated, based on material collected from monarch flycatchers (Passeriformes: Monarchidae): Brueelia (Brueelia) bongbong sp. nov. ex Grallina cyanoleuca cyanoleuca (Latham, 1801); Guimaraesiella (Guimaraesiella) duplicata sp. nov. ex Grallina bruijni Salvadori, 1875; Guimaraesiella (Guimaraesiella) megacephala sp. nov. ex Terpsiphone mutata mutata (Linnaeus, 1766). These louse species are congruent with a trend of open-country songbirds being parasitised by species of Brueelia, whereas humid-forest songbirds are generally parasitised by species of Guimaraesiella. Other examples of this trend are discussed.

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How to Cite

Gustafsson, D.R. (2026) Three new species of chewing lice (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera) from monarch flycatchers (Passeriformes: Monarchidae) and the influence of host habitat on host-louse associations in the Brueelia-complex. Zootaxa, 5862 (1), 145–162. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5862.1.6