Kary C. Emerson

Descriptions of two species of Pediculidae (Anoplura) from great apes (Primates, Pongidae)

The male of Pediculus schaeffi Fahrenholz, 1910 is redescribed and illustrated. The adult female of Pthirus gorillae Ewing is for the first time described and illustrated. The taxonomy of the family Pediculidae is in a chaotic state. At present descriptions and knowledge of all the known species of the Pediculidae are insufficient to indicate their taxonomic status, except for Pediculus humanus L. and Pthirus pubis (L.). Ferris (1951) recognized four species of Pediculus: P. humanus L., P. pseudohumanus Ewing, P. mjfbergi Ferris, and P. schaeffi Fahrenholz. All other species of Pediculus should be reexamined for their validity with additional information. The genus Pthirus contains two species, P. pubis (L.) and P. gorillae Ewing. As late as 1965 two invalid generic names Phthirius and Phthirus have commonly been used for the genus Pthirus Leach. A specific name Phthirus pubis has been used for the crab louse Pthirus pubis (L.) (Blickenstaff, 1965). Pthirus Leach (1815) is the first established name for the genus, and Phthirius Burmeister (1835) and Phthirus Leach (1817) are invalidly emended names. The generic name Pthirus was decided as an available name for this taxon by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (Opinion 104, 1928) (Hemming, 1958). The other names Phthirius Burmeister and Phthirus Leach have been placed in the Official Index of Rejected and Invalid Generic Names in Zoology (Direction 63, 1957) and became unavailable (Hemming, 1958). The generic name Pthirus should only be used for this taxon. Through the efforts of U. S. mammalogists, Received for publication 13 May 1968. * Department of Entomology, Fisheries, and Wildlife, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minne-

Abrocomophagidae (Mallophaga: Amblycera), A New Family From Chile

A new mallophagon family, Abrocomophagidae, is erected for Abrocomophaga chilensis, new genus and new species, from a Rat Chinchilla, Abrocoma bennetti Waterhouse, from Chile.

Menacanthus dennisi (Mallophaga: Menoponidae), a New Species from the Grey Currawong (Passeriformes: Cracticidae) in South Australia

A new species of chewing louse, Menacanthus dennisi, is described and illustrated from specimens taken off the Grey Currawong, Strepera versicolor, from South Australia. Genitalic structures, details of chaetotaxy, and dimensions are used to separate this species from M. gonophaeus, the species most similar to it.

A New Species of Megapodiella (Mallophaga: Philopteridae) From the Mallee Fowl of Australia

A new species, Megapodiella parkeri, is described and illustrated from specimens taken off the Mallee Fowl, Leipoa ocellata, from Australia. Genitalic structures, details of chaetotaxy, and dimensions are used to separate this species from M. nakatae, the only other known species in the genus.

A New Species of Mallophaga from the Caracara

In 1956, Carriker described and illustrated as Acutifrons caracarensis (Kellogg and Mann, 1912) specimens taken off Caracara cheriway (Jacquin). At that time, Carriker noted he had been unable to examine the type of A. caracarensis, which was collected off Caracara lentosus (Ridgway); but he suspected the two forms might not be conspecific. I have examined the type material of A. caracarensis, and it is not conspecific with specimens from Caracara cheriway. The new species is herewith described. Acutifrons mexicanus, new species

New Mallophaga from the black curassow (Galliformes: Craciidae) in Venezuela

The new species Amyrsidea (Cracimenopon) steineri and Oxylipeurus spangleri are described and illustrated for material taken from the Black Curassow, Crax alector, in Venezuela.

A New Species of Suricatoecus (Mallophaga: Trichodectidae) from the Western Cusimanse, Crossarchus Obscurus (Carnivora: Viverridae)

The new species, Suricatoecus occidentalis, is described and illustrated from specimens taken off Crossarchus obscurus F. Cuvier (Carnivora: Viverridae) from the Ivory Coast and Nigeria. A key to the species in the Suricatoecus helogale group is provided.

A New Species of Plegadiphilus (Mallophaga: Menoponidae) from the Cayenne Ibis

A new species of Mallophaga, Plegadiphilus cayennensis, collected in Venezuela off the Cayenne Ibis is described. This is the fifth known species in the genus.

A New Species of Somaphantus (Menoponidae: Mallophaga) from Thailand

The genus Somaphantus Paine, 1914 is a little known genus previously represented by two species: S. lusius Paine, 1914 found on a guinea fowl, Numida meleagris macroceras Erlanger; and S. spencei Emerson, 1958 found on the Indo-Chinese Green Peafowl, Pavo muticus imperator Delacour. S. spencei is known to live inside the quills of the primaries. The elongated body form with short abdominal sternal and tergal plates for both S. Lusius and the species herewith described as new are characters which cause us to believe that quills of primaries represent the normal habitat for all species of the genus. These characters are also typical of species of Longimenopon and certain species of Actornithophilus which live in this habitat in the petrels and shorebirds, respectively. Very few specimens of Somaphantus and Longimenopon have been collected, probably because few collectors suspect lice are to be found in this habitat.