Two New Species of Colpocephalum (Mallophaga: Menoponidae) from the Gruiformes

Abstract

Colpocephalum cristatae sp. n. is described from the Neotropical type host Cariama cristata (L.), and C. haematopi sp. n. from Himantornis haematopus haematopus Hartlaub from Liberia. Five species or subspecies referable to the genus Colpocephalum Nitzsch, 1818, have been described from hosts stated to be within the order Gruiformes. Of these, only one, C. benoiti Tendeiro, 1960, is recognizable and definitely attributable to this host order. Price and Beer (1963) have shown C. caudatum var. longipes Piaget, 1885 (nec 1880), described from Chunga burmeisteri (Hartlaub), and C. notatum Piaget, 1885, described from Cariama cristata (L.), to be junior synonyms, respectively, of C. turbinatum Denny, 1842, and C. maculatum Piaget, 1880; both of these species are principally associated with members of the Falconiformes. The gruiform host given for each of these synonymized names most probably represents an error. C. gallinulae Uchida, 1926, was described from a single male from a captive specimen of Gallinula chloropus indica Blyth, and, according to Hopkins and Clay (1952), is from an erroneous host, with the true host not known. While the description is inadequate and placement is uncertain, it is sufficient to determine that this louse differs from all other known males from gruiform birds and may well represent a parasite from another host order. The fifth species, C. breve Giebel, 1866, is likewise unrecognizable and is discussed further later