Myrsidea Waterston

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 : 2

Genus Myrsidea Waterston

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

A thorough characterization of this genus may be found in Clay (1966). We provide here only the characters pertinent to the delineation of the species known from the emberizids.

Head ( Fig. 1 ) evenly rounded anteriorly; lacking lateral slit or notch; with long inner and minute outer occipital seta on each side; each temple margin with 4 very long setae; without ventral sclerotized processes; posterior gula seta heavier and longer than those anterior to it.

Thorax ( Fig. 1 ) with pronotum lacking central setae; with 3 short setae at each lateral angle and 6 longer posterior marginal setae. Mesonotum well defined, with 2 minute medioanterior setae adjacent to postnotum and 2 minute setae at posterior margin. Metanotum without central setae, but with 6 short anterior setae around periphery and with very long seta at lateroposterior corner in addition to other marginal setae. Prosternal plate well developed, elongate, with 2 short anterior setae; mesothorax with notum, pleura, and sternum fused to form strongly sclerotized ring; metasternal plate prominent, diamond-shaped; venter of femur III with setal brush.

Abdomen ( Figs. 1, 6 ) having undivided tergites; without anterior setae except for very small seta near lateroanterior corner on each side of tergite I (not included in setal count); sternite I small, without setae; sternite II often enlarged, with aster of 3–5 heavy setae at each lateroposterior corner. Postspiracular setae very long on I (0.17–0.32; N=45; Mean=0.247), extremely long on II, IV, and VIII (>0.34; N=135; Mean=0.406), shorter on III (0.12–0.25; N=47; Mean=0.175). Pleurites without anterior setae. Female anus oval, with each dorsal and ventral fringe of 27–43 setae, and without inner setae. Female subgenital plate of fused sternites VII–IX, with serrated posterior margin; setae given for VII represent those anteriorly located on region of segment VII, and those for VIII–IX are the remainder of the plate setae. Male subgenital plate of fused sternites VIII–IX; setae given for VIII represent those anteriorly located on region of segment VIII; the remainder of the plate setae are not quantified but their state may be seen on the various figures; genitalia of characteristic shape ( Fig. 5 ), with spinous sac having distinctively shaped associated sclerite, except for those of the serini group.

Sexual dimorphism is limited to males having smaller dimensions, often sparser abdominal chaetotaxy, and differences associated with the posterior abdomen. Many females have some degree of enlargement of anterior abdominal tergites. Male tergites are unmodified, with pattern of postspiracular setal lengths usually similar to that of the female. Characters listed above for the genus or for the group characters below will not be repeated in the species descriptions.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Myrsidea campestris. 1. Entire dorsoventral male. 2. Male sternite II. 3. Male genital sac sclerite. 4. Female hypopharyngeal sclerites. 5. Male genitalia. 6. Female metanotum and dorsoventral abdomen.