Preliminary revision of the species of the genus Brueelia Kéler, 1936 (Phthiraptera, Philopteridae) parasiting Icterinae (Aves, Passeriformes, Fringillidae)

Abstract

A number of distinctive somatic features permit to divide the Brueelia-species parasitic on different taxa of Icterinae in two major informal species-groups here named picturata-group and ornatissima-group, and the latter subdivided in the cela-subgroup and amazonae-subgroup. In this paper, we deal with the characterization of these groups and subgroups along with the description or taxonomic notes of the twenty two species of both groups hitherto known to parasitize Icterinae birds: Brueelia picturata (Osborn, 1896) (ex Sturnella magna), B. pseudopicturata Cicchino, 1986 (ex Sturnella neglecta), B. boae sp. n. (ex Sturnella l. loyca), B. cela Stafford, 1943 (ex Cacicus c. cela), B. virgata (Kellogg, 1899) (ex Amblycercus h. holosericeus), B. solitaria Cicchino, 1988 (ex Cacicus solitarius), B. decumana sp. n. (ex Psarocolius decumanus maculosus), B. abrupta (Osborn, 1896) (unknown host), B. ornatissima (ex Agelaius p. phoeniceus), B. mirabile Carriker, 1963 (ex Scaphidura o. oryzivora), B. ruficapilla Cicchino, 1990 (ex Agelaius ruficapillus), B. mauroi sp. n. (ex Tangavius aeneus), B. emersoni sp. n. (ex Euphagus carolinus), B. marcoi sp. n. (ex Curaeus c. curaeus), B. trinidadensis sp. n. (ex Molothrus bonariensis minimus), B. americana sp. n. (ex Molothrus a. ater), B. bonariensis sp. n. (ex Molothrus b. bonariensis), B. badia sp. n. (ex Molothrus b. badius), B. flinti sp. n. (ex Cassidix m. mexicanus) and B. mimas sp. n. (ex Pseudoleistes virescens), discussing the taxonomic status and probable affinities of B. sallei Carriker, 1963, B. amazonae Stafford, 1943, B. latiuscula (Kellogg & Chapman, 1899) and B. xanthocephali (Osborn, 1896).