Goniocotes Gustafsson, Grossi, Ren & Zou, 2023, s. lat

Goniocotes s. lat

With the removal of G. parviceps and G. mayuri to Pavoniocotes, the morphological circumscription of Goniocotes has been somewhat simplified. Goniocotes can now be largely circumscribed as the small-bodied goniodid species that have sexually monomorphic antennae, simplified solenoid male genitalia, and vulval margins with 2–4 (typically 3) thorn-like setae. However, some species have more complicated male genitalia (eg Goniocotes rolandi Gustafsson et al., 2021a), and species from Afropavo congensis Chapin, 1936 are morphologically aberrant within the genus (Clay 1938). Further revisions of the genus, including redescriptions of more species, are necessary to establish the characters that can be used to circumscribe the genus, as well as the limits of the genus.

Several groups of lice synonymised with Goniodes by Price et al. (2003) are likely more closely related to Goniocotes, based on the morphology of their genitalia. This includes at least the proposed genera Homocerus Kéler, 1940, Maleoicus Mey, 1997, and Weelahia Mey, 1997, but probably also others (see Mey 1997 for illustrations). In these genera the antennae are also sexually monomorphic, and the placement of these species in Goniodes thus makes the morphological circumscription of that genus more difficult. A large number of poorly known species of Goniodes that have sexually monomorphic antennae, or antennae that are not dimorphic in the same way as the Goniodes treated here, may also be closer to Goniocotes; this includes, for example, Goniodes astrocephalus (Burmeister, 1838) and Goniodes coronatus (Giebel, 1874). However, as we have examined no specimens of any species in these genera, we presently do not propose any further changes to the classification of these species, pending a more thorough revision of the group.