﻿MALLOPHAGA FROM GUAM CARRIKER 



MEASUREMENTS OF TYPES OF RALLICOLA GUAMI 



Genus SAEMUNDSSONIA Timmerman 



SAEMUNDSSONIA HEXAGONA (Giebel) 



Docophorus hexagonus Giebel, Insecta Epizoa, p. 176, 1874, 



Saemundssonia hexagonus (Giebel), Thompson, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 11, 

 vol. 2, p. 458, figs 1, 3b, 1938. 



In the Guam collection there is a single female of Saemundssonia 

 from Phaethon lepturus (subsp. probably dorotheae), which agrees very 

 closely with Thompson's description and figm-e of specimens of the 

 above-named species taken on the type host, Phaethon ruhricauda 

 roseotincta. It is possible that this single specimen may represent a 

 distinct subspecies, but until the male is available for study it had 

 best be listed as above. 



The differences betw^een this specimen and Thompson's figm-e and 

 description are as follows: Very slightly larger (immaterial), 2.98 by 

 1.28 against 2.80 by 1.12. Preantennary region of head, as well as 

 the various bands, practically the same, but posterior portion of 

 temples and occiput different, the occiput being much narrower, only 

 as wide as the occipital bands at their base, while the temples form a 

 uniform circular outline from their widest point to the side of the 

 narrow occiput. Prothorax the same, but pterothorax with different 

 proportions. Thompson says that "the meso-metathorax is a little 

 more than twice as broad as long (referring to the female), mdening 

 laterally to about half its length, then tapering to a blunt point." 

 This general shape is the same, but my specimen is 0.43 long by 0.74 

 wide, the width being much less than twice the length. 



Thompson's statement regarding the abdominal structure is some- 

 what ambiguous. He says: "Sternites and tergites apparently con- 

 tinuous, divided medially except for the terminal ones; the fii'st almost 

 meet." In my specimens the tergites and sternites are fused with the 

 narrow pleurites, while the sternites are all continuous across the 

 abdomen, but tergites II to VI are divided medially. No. I is narrow 



