Myrsidea cayanae Price and Dalgleish, 2006

Price, Roger D. & Dalgleish, Robert C., 2006, Myrsidea Waterston (Phthiraptera: Menoponidae) from tanagers (Passeriformes: Thraupidae), with descriptions of 18 new species, Zootaxa 1174, pp. 1-25 : 11-15

Myrsidea cayanae Price and Dalgleish , new species

Type host. Tangara cayana (L.), Burnished­buff Tanager.

Female (10). Metanotum not enlarged, with 10–12 marginal setae. Abdomen with tergites shaped much as for M. seminuda (Fig. 13). Tergal setae: I, 19–23; II, 19–28; III, 19–23; IV, 21–26; V, 22–32; VI, 25–33; VII, 21–26; VIII, 12–15. Postspiracular setae extremely long on IV and VII, long to very long on III and V–VI. Sternal setae: II, 23–31; III, 21–28; IV–V, 27–36; VI, 26–31; VII, 12–16; VIII–IX, 17–23. Dimensions: TW, 0.42– 0.44; HL, 0.29–0.31; PW, 0.27–0.30; MW, 0.40–0.43; AWIV, 0.53–0.58; ANW, 0.17– 0.20; TL, 1.35–1.51.

Male (10). Metanotum with 8–10 marginal setae. Tergal setae: I, 16–19; II–III, 21–24; IV, 24–29; V–VI, 25–30; VII, 21–25; VIII, 15–19. Sternal setae: II, 21–27; III, 19–25; IV– VI, 22–28; VII, 13–18; VIII, 5–8. Genital sac sclerite 0.075–0.090 long, as in Fig. 11.

Dimensions: TW, 0.37–0.39; HL, 0.26–0.28; PW, 0.24–0.27; MW, 0.33–0.35; AWIV, 0.41–0.43; TL, 1.11–1.15.

Type material. Holotype female, ex T. cayana , VENEZUELA: 60 km E Sta Elena, Edo Bolivar, Jan 1987, R. C. Dalgleish . Paratypes: 36 females, 38 males, same data as holotype .

Remarks. The female of this species is recognized by the combination of its pattern of abdominal tergal development, its number of setae on tergite I, and its temple width. The male is identified by the number of marginal metanotal setae, its temple width, and the number of setae on its abdominal tergites.

Myrsidea ophthalmici Price and Dalgleish , new species (Fig. 15)

Type host. Chlorospingus ophthalmicus (Du Bus) , Common Bush Tanager.

Female (5). Metanotum not enlarged, with 9–10 marginal setae. Abdomen (Fig. 15) without any enlarged tergites, but II–IV with slight medioposterior convexity. Tergal setae: I, 13–14; II–IV, 16–19; V, 16–21; VI, 19–23; VII, 18–21; VIII, 12–13. Postspiracular setae extremely long on IV, very long on VII, and shortest on III and V–VI. Sternal setae: II, 26– 27; III, 18–22; IV, 21–28; V, 27–31; VI, 26; VII, 16–19; VIII–IX, 17–20. Dimensions: TW, 0.41–0.43; HL, 0.30–0.31; PW, 0.27–0.29; MW, 0.39–0.42; AWIV, 0.49–0.58; ANW, 0.18–0.19; TL, 1.30–1.40.

Male (2). Metanotum with 8 marginal setae. Tergal setae: I, 10–12; II–VII, 14–18; VIII, 13–15. Sternal setae: II, obscured; III, 19–20; IV, 22–23; V, 26–28; VI, 23; VII, 17; VIII, 8–9. Genital sac sclerite 0.080–0.090 long, as in Fig. 11. Dimensions: TW, 0.38– 0.39; HL, 0.28; PW, 0.24–0.25; MW, 0.33–0.34; AWIV, 0.43; TL, 1.12–1.13.

Type material. Holotype female, ex C. ophthalmicus , VENEZUELA: Bocono , Trujillo, 2 Feb 1986, R. C. Dalgleish . Paratypes: 4 females, 2 males, same data as holotype .

Remarks. The female of this species is unique for this group by having no obviously enlarged metanotum or abdominal tergites, but tergites II–IV do exhibit a slight medioposterior convexity. Dimensions and setal counts assist in recognition of both sexes from the closely related forms.

fusca species group

The 11 species of this group are characterized by the presence, in both sexes, of a well defined median gap in the rows of tergal setae. (Figs. 16–17).

Myrsidea fusca (Carriker) (Figs. 16–17)

Menopon thoracicum fuscum Carriker 1903: 187 . Type host: Ramphocelus passerinii Bonaparte , Scarlet­rumped Tanager.

Female (8). Metanotum not enlarged, with 12–16 marginal setae. Abdomen (Fig. 16) with tergite I largest with strongly convex posterior margin, II–V with slight medioposterior convexity. Tergal setae: I, 6; II, 12–17; III–V, 17–20; VI, 15–21; VII, 13–19; VIII, 11–15. Postspiracular setae extremely long on IV and VII, shorter on III and V–VI. Sternal setae: II, 27–32; III, 23–29; IV, 30–39; V, 36–48; VI, 31–42; VII, 19–26; VIII–IX, 16–21. Dimensions: TW, 0.46–0.49; HL and PW, 0.28–0.31; MW, 0.45–0.50; AWIV, 0.60–0.67; ANW, 0.22–0.24; TL, 1.47–1.62.

Male (4). Metanotum with 12–16 marginal setae. Dorsal abdomen as in Fig. 17. Tergal setae: I, 10–12; II, 15–16; III, 18–19; IV, 16–18; V, 16–19; VI–VII, 14–17; VIII, 13–14. Sternal setae: II, 27–29; III, 23–24; IV, 28–33; V–VI, 29–35; VII, 22–25; VIII, 6–8. Genital sac sclerite 0.090–0.100 long, as in Fig. 3 . Dimensions: TW, 0.40–0.43; HL, 0.28–0.29; PW, 0.27–0.30; MW, 0.36–0.38; AWIV, 0.45–0.49; TL, 1.14–1.24.

Material. Ex R. passerinii , 10 females, 5 males, including holotype female, allotype male, 2 female paratypes of M. t. fuscum, COSTA RICA (5 collections).

Remarks. The description of this louse taxon by Carriker (1903) as a subspecies of Menopon thoracicum Giebel was based on “Numerous specimens collected on Ramphocelus passerinii, Juan Vinae , Costa Rica, March, 1902.” This description is essentially useless, as it contains only brief verbiage of a general nature and no illustrations. However, if indeed it is close to M. thoracicum , then Carriker’s illustration for M. thoracicum is counter to what we considered to be diagnostic for our specimens of M. fusca , because it clearly shows tergal setae in a continuous row across all tergites. A study of the type specimens from the National Museum of Natural History resolved this matter. They possess the central gap in the tergal rows confirming the improper placement of these specimens from R. passerinii as a subspecies of M. thoracicum . The female of this species is recognized by its much enlarged tergite I, and there is a tendency in both sexes for a larger number of marginal metanotal setae.

Myrsidea fuscicaudae Price and Dalgleish , new species (Fig. 18)

Type host. Habia fuscicauda (Cabanis) , Red­throated Ant Tanager.

Female (3). Metanotum not enlarged, with 19 marginal setae. Abdomen much as for M. fusca (Fig. 16). Tergal setae: I, 6; II, 16–18; III–VI, 22–25; VII, 17–19; VIII, 9–10. Postspiracular setae as for M. fusca . Sternal setae: II, 24–26; III, 28–29; IV, 37–38; V, 41– 42; VI, 32–34; VII, 14–15; VIII–IX, 21–24. Dimensions: TW, 0.46–0.48; HL, 0.31–0.32; PW, 0.29–0.30; MW, 0.46; AWIV, 0.58–0.61; ANW, 0.22–0.23; TL, 1.53–1.56.

Male (5). Metanotum with 14–15 marginal setae. Tergal setae: I, 11–13; II, 16–20; III, 19–23; IV, 20–24; V, 19–21; VI, 17–19; VII, 15–18; VIII, 11–12. Sternal setae: II, 22–26; III, 20–24; IV–V, 29–38; VI, 27–31; VII, 17–20; VIII, 7–8. Genital sac sclerite 0.085– 0.095 long, as in Fig. 18. Dimensions: TW, 0.41–0.42; HL, 0.25–0.29; PW, 0.25–0.27; MW, 0.34–0.36; AWIV, 0.43–0.44; TL, 1.19–1.22.

Type material. Holotype female, ex H. fuscicauda , COSTA RICA: La Selva Biological Station , Puerto Viejo, 11–14 Jan 1992, R. L. Fisher 395 . Paratypes: 2 females, 5 males, same data as holotype .

Remarks. This species is closest to M. fusca , but may be separated from it by the female having a larger number of marginal metanotal setae, more setae on tergites III–VI, and fewer on sternite VII. The male of M. fuscicaudae tends to have more setae on tergites II–VI, fewer on sternite VII, and a slight difference of the genital sac sclerite ( Fig. 3 vs Fig. 18).

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. 1–4, Myrsidea laciniaesternata. 1, Entire dorsoventral male. 2, Male genitalia. 3, Male genital sac sclerite. 4, Female metanotum and dorsoventral abdomen. 5–6, M. cyanocephalae. 5, Female metanotum and dorsal abdomen. 6, Male metanotum and dorsal abdomen.