Myrsidea melanorum (Kellogg)

Price, Roger D. & Dalgleish, Robert C., 2007, Myrsidea Waterston (Phthiraptera: Menoponidae) from the Emberizidae (Passeriformes), with descriptions of 13 new species, Zootaxa 1467, pp. 1-18 : 15

Myrsidea melanorum (Kellogg)

Menopon melanorum Kellogg 1896: 532 . Type host: Pipilo erythrophthalmus (L.), most likely an erroneous host.

Remarks. This species was described by Kellogg (1896) based on one female supposedly from the type host collected at Lawrence, Kansas. Although we have been unable to locate this type specimen, the full dorsal female illustration, the principal feature of value in this description, clearly shows the abdominal tergal development without any unusual modification, quite different from that shown by the female lice we have available from P. erythrophthalmus . While these tergal shapes of M. melanorum are reminiscent of some of the other species we are describing (e.g., Figs, 7, 10), it is impossible to associate this specimen with any of our series. The only conclusion we can reach is that this species be regarded as a species sedis incertae until the time at which additional material, including associated males, may become available. With the propensity of Kellogg to have incorrect host associations of some of his new species, we suspect that this is yet another example of this and that its true identity likely will never be known.