Myrsidea Waterston

Price, Roger D. & Johnson, Kevin P., 2006, Four new species of Myrsidea Waterston chewing lice (Phthiraptera: Menoponidae) from the Malagasy warblers (Passeriformes), Zootaxa 1297, pp. 47-55 : 48

Genus Myrsidea Waterston

Myrsidea Waterston 1915: 12 . Type species: Myrsidea victrix Waterston by original designation.

A brief characterization of this genus as it pertains to the features shared in common by the Malagasy warbler lice in this study is as follows. Head as in Fig. 1 ; evenly rounded anteriorly; no lateral notch or slit; inner occipital setae much longer than minute outer setae; no ventral sclerotized processes; gula with heavier longer posterior seta on each side; hypopharyngeal sclerites strongly developed. Thorax ( Fig. 1 ) with pronotum having 6 long posterior setae; no central setae; and 3 short setae at each lateral angle. Mesonotum with 2 minute medioanterior setae adjacent to postnotum and 2 at posterior margin. Metanotum without central setae; with 6 short lateral and anterior setae, and very long (0.25–0.30) posterior corner seta. Prosternal plate well developed, elongate, with 2 short anterior setae; metasternal plate large, diamond shaped, with 4 setae; venter of femur III with setal brush.

Abdomen ( Figs. 1, 4 , 6–7) with undivided tergites; no anterior setae except very small corner seta on each side of tergite I; postspiracular setae extremely long on tergites II, IV, and VIII (tergal setal counts include postspiracular setae and all setae between them); sternite I small, without setae; sternite II enlarged, with aster of heavy setae at each lateroposterior corner. Pleurites without anterior setae. Male subgenital plate of fused sternites VIII–IX; setae given for VIII represent those anteriorly located in region of segment VIII; genitalia of characteristic shape ( Fig. 3 ), with spinous sac having associated sclerites ( Figs. 2 , 5). Female anus oval, without inner setae; subgenital plate of fused sternites VII–IX, with serrated posterior margin; setae given for VII represent those anteriorly located in region of segment VII and those for VIII–IX are on the remainder of the plate. For brevity, these characters are not repeated in discussing each species.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Myrsidea yoshizawai. 1, Entire dorsoventral male. 2, Male genital sac sclerite. 3, Male genitalia. 4, Female metanotum and dorsoventral abdomen.