Myrsidea lightae Price, Johnson

Price, Roger D., Johnson, Kevin P. & Dalgleish, Robert C., 2008, Five new species of Myrsidea Waterston (Phthiraptera: Menoponidae) from saltators and grosbeaks (Passeriformes: Cardinalidae), Zootaxa 1873, pp. 1-10 : 2

Myrsidea lightae Price, Johnson , and Dalgleish, new species

( Figs. 1–4 )

Type host. Saltator maximus (Statius Müller, 1776) , the Buff-throated Saltator .

Female. Head with strongly developed hypopharyngeal sclerites; gula usually with 5 setae on each side, much less often only 4. Dorsoventral metathorax and abdomen as in Fig. 1 . Metanotal posterior margin with 17–21 setae; metasternal plate with 6, less often 5 or 7, setae. Tergite I much enlarged with pronounced tapered medioposterior convexity, this resulting in compression of tergites II–VI. Each tergal setal row with distinct median gap. Tergal setae: I, 13–20; II, 17–22; III, 17–24; IV, 17–22; V, 15–23; VI, 16–21; VII, 14–20; VIII, 9–16. Postspiracular setae on III and V–VI <0.25 long, all on these segments distinctly shorter than the extremely long setae on II, IV, or VIII; those on VII intermediate in length between these shorter setae and the extremely long ones. Pleurites: I–III with relatively uniform short setae; IV-VII with fine longer setae toward midline; VIII with long seta flanked on each side by much shorter seta. Sternal setae: II, 5 in each aster, less often 4, 16–21 marginal between asters, 6–12 anterior; III, 32–35; IV, 42–52; V, 40–53; VI, 33–43; VII, 15– 20; VIII–IX, 18–27. Anus with 34–40 ventral, 38–46 dorsal fringe setae. Dimensions: TW, 0.51–0.56; HL, 0.34–0.36; PW, 0.33–0.35; MW, 0.51–0.59; AWIV, 0.68–0.75; ANW, 0.24–0.28; TL, 1.67–1.82.

Male. Head, thorax, median gap in abdominal tergal setal rows, lengths of postspiracular setae, and chaetotaxy of abdominal pleurites as for female ( Fig. 4 ), except for only 13–19 marginal metanotal setae. Tergal setae: I, 13–17; II, 16–21; III, 18–22; IV, 16–20; V, 17–22; VI, 16–20; VII, 15–20; VIII, 12–15. Sternal setae: II, 5 in each aster, less often 4, 15–19 marginal between asters, 9–14 anterior; III, 24–33; IV, 39–46; V, 39–47; VI, 36–41; VII, 18–31; VIII, 7–12. Genitalia as in Fig. 2 ; genital sac sclerite ( Fig. 3 ) posteriorly tapered, with median dark line and each side with small slender subapical process. Dimensions: TW, 0.46–0.50; HL, 0.31– 0.33; PW, 0.30–0.32; MW, 0.41–0.45; AWIV, 0.52–0.57; GL, 0.46–0.49; TL, 1.34–1.47.

Type material. Holotype female (to INHS), ex S. maximus , PANAMA: Serriana del Maje, 16 Feb. 2006, JMD 603, K.P. Johnson. Paratypes (to INHS), all from type host: 1 female, 1 male, same data as holotype; 3 females, 2 males, same except JMD 656; Paratypes (to USNM) COSTA RICA: 3 females, 3 males, Punta Cocles Hotel, 10 km E. Pto. Viejo, Limon, 24–25 Apr. 1992, R.L. Fisher 228, R.C. Dalgleish; 1 female, 1 male, La Selva Biological Station, Puerto Viejo, 11–14 June 1992, R.L. Fisher 399, R.C. Dalgleish; 1 male, Monte Anivo Lodge, 13 km N. Portero Grande, Punterenas, 17 May 1995, Fisher 2124, R.C. Dalgleish; VEN- EZUELA: 2 females, 1 male, 60 km E. Sta. Elena, Edo. Bolivar, Jan. 1987, R.C. Dalgleish.

Other material. Ex S. striatipectus Lafresnaye, 1847 , PANAMA: 1 female, 2 males, Serriana del Maje, 16 Feb. 2006, JMD 687, K.P. Johnson; COSTA RICA: 5 females, 1 male, Las Cruces Biological Station, Cota Brus, 18–21 Apr. 1992, R.L. Fisher 80, R.C. Dalgleish.

Remarks. This species represents the first of three described here that have a median gap in the abdominal tergal rows. The female is easily separated from those of the other two by the much enlarged abdominal tergite I ( Fig. 1 vs. Figs. 5 and 9 ) and the large number of setae on the abdominal tergites. The male may be distinguished by its quantitative abdominal tergal chaetotaxy and its large dimensions. In addition, both sexes have typically five setae in each sternite II aster, rarely four on one side, as opposed to the other two species always having four setae on both sides, rarely three on one side.

Etymology. This species is named in honor or Jessica Light, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, in recognition of her work on louse systematics and coevolution.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. 1 – 4. Myrsidea lightae. 1. Female dorsoventral metathorax and abdomen. 2. Male genitalia. 3. Male genital sac sclerite. 4. Male dorsoventral metathorax and abdomen. 5 – 6. M. johnklickai. 5. Female dorsoventral metathorax and abdomen. 6. Male genital sac sclerite.

FIGURES 7 – 9. 7. Myrsidea johnklickai, male dorsoventral metathorax and abdomen. 8 – 9. M. markhafneri. 8. Male dorsoventral metathorax and abdomen. 9. Female dorsoventral metathorax and abdomen.