Myrsidea marksi Johnson and Price, 2006

Johnson, Kevin P. & Price, Roger D., 2006, Five new species of Myrsidea Waterston (Phthiraptera: Menopo- nidae) from bristlebills and greenbuls (Passeriformes: Pycnonotidae) in Ghana, Zootaxa 1177, pp. 27-37 : 34-35

Myrsidea marksi Johnson and Price , new species ( Fig. 16 )

Type host. Phyllastrephus albigularis (Sharpe) , the White­throated Greenbul.

Male. Head and thorax similar to M. wombeyi ; gula with 4–5 setae on each side. Ter­ gal setae: I, 5–6; II, 9–11; III–VI, 11–15; VII, 10–16; VIII, 8–9. Postspiracular setae very long on I–VIII. Sternal setae: II, each aster with 6 setae, less often 5, remainder with 20– 22; III, 14–16; IV–VI, 28–32; VII, 20–22; VIII, 11–12. Genital sac sclerite much as in Fig. 15 . Dimensions: TW, 0.41–0.42; HL, 0.28–0.30; PW, 0.27–0.29; MW, 0.38–0.40; AWIV, 0.48–0.51; LSVII, 0.09–0.12; GL, 0.41–0.43; TL, 1.26–1.31.

Female. Head and thorax as for male. Dorsal abdomen as in Fig. 16 . Tergite III with only slight medioposterior convexity; other tergites with relatively straight posterior margin. Tergal setae: I, 6; II–V, 10–13; VI, 11–15; VII, 10–12; VIII, 8. Postspiracular setae as for male. Sternal setae: II, each aster with 6 setae, remainder with 18–22; III, 14–16; IV– VI, 31–38; VII, 15; VIII–IX with 11–13 marginal and anterior setae. Anus with 43–47 ventral fringe setae, 35–44 dorsal. Dimensions: TW, 0.45–0.46; HL and PW, 0.30–0.31; MW, 0.41–0.44; AWIV, 0.60–0.63; LSVII, 0.12–0.13; ANW, 0.21–0.23; TL, 1.50–1.58.

Type material. Female holotype, ex P. albigularis , GHANA: Goaso , 19 March 2003, K. P. Johnson, BDM 789 . Paratypes: 1 male, same data as holotype; 1 male, same except 21 March 2003, JDW 574 ; 3 females, 2 males, same except 24 March 2003, BDM 822 .

Remarks. Myrsidea marksi is allied with M. wombeyi in being the only two known species of pycnonotid Myrsidea with weakly developed hypopharyngeal sclerites. Both sexes of M. marksi , with consistently smaller dimensions and reduced numbers of setae on tergites III–VIII and sternites IV–VII, are easily separated from those of M. wombeyi .

Etymology. This species is named for Ben Marks (Louisiana State University) in recognition of his interest in African Pycnonotidae and for his aid in the collection of lice used in this study.

Figures

FIGURES 11–16. 11–15, Myrsidea wombeyi. 11, Female metanotum and dorsoventral abdomen. 12, Male hypopharynx. 13, Male gula. 14, Male metanotum and dorsoventral abdomen. 15, Male genital sac sclerite. 16, M. marksi, female metanotum and dorsal abdomen.