Parasitic on bird or mammal? Echinopon monounguiculatum gen. nov., spec. nov., representative of a new family (Echinoponidae fam. nov.) in the Amblycera (Insecta: Psocodea: Phthiraptera)

On the study skin of a Bornean Black Magpie Platysmurus aterrimus (Passeriformes, Corvidae) collected in 1888, stored in the collection of the Museum für Tierkunde [Zoological Museum] Dresden, a female specimen of a pha- rate amblyceran third instar larva was found. The possibility that the larva originally lived on this bird can be definitively excluded, therefore it can only be considered as a straggler from an unknown host species. Its morphology showed a com- bination of unusual characters that differentiates the specimen from all other known Amblycera, but that does place it close to the Menoponidae sensu lato. The insect, measuring only 1.32 mm in length, is characterized dorsally by stiff spine-like setae on thorax and abdomen, and can be placed close to a menoponoid-style habitus by the following autapomorphies that form the basis for the erection of Echinoponidae fam. nov.: 1. A blunt, curved cutaneous bulge on both sides of the labrum equipped with three sturdy setae on each side, whose function (apart from possible movement coordination) is unknown. – 2. A respiration system with tiny stigmata and tracheae, apparently without a post-spiracular setal complex at each end of the central abdominal tergites. – 3. Coxa I is rounded, not elongated anteroposteriorly as in all avian Amblycera. – 4. All three pairs of legs have only a single long apically curved, basally humped claw. A small euplantula sits apically opposite the second, only slightly smaller, first tarsal segment while the tarsus sole is equipped with two rows of adhesive pads (?) and two setae pairs. Single-clawed Amblycera are only known from Neotropical mammals. – 5. Dorsally and ventrally, head, thorax, and abdomen setae depart in many details from previously known chaetotaxies, (e.g.) ventral femur III has setal combs (ctenidia) with three rows, on each side of abdominal segment II they have two rows, and on segments III to VIII one row on each (ctenidia are absent in all mammal-infesting Amblycera and in avian Amblycera are unknown in such an excessive development); abdominal macrochaetae present only ventrally with one pair on each side of segment II and two pairs on segments VIII and IX. – 6. The female probably lacks the anal corona of setae typical of Menoponidae. These characters, and the circumstances of the discovery of the specimen (with a record of a goniodoid ischnoceran, also a straggler, on the same skin), allow us to make the simple decision as to whether the enigmatic Single-clawed Spiny Amblyceran Echinopon monounguiculatum gen. nov., spec. nov. is an avian or a mammalian amblyceran.