Caryothraustes poliogaster

Č, Ř Á, 2007, Chewing lice (Phthiraptera) from buntings, cardinals and tanagers (Passeriformes: Emberizidae, Cardinalidae, Thraupidae) from Costa Rica, with descriptions of two new species of the genus Myrsidea (Phthiraptera: Menoponidae), Zootaxa 1631, pp. 57-68 : 59-61

Host: Caryothraustes poliogaster (Du Bus de Gisignies) – Black-faced Grosbeak

One chewing louse species was found on this host:

Myrsidea poliogasteri Sychra , new species ( Figs. 1–4 )

Female (6). Hypopharyngeal sclerites strongly developed. Mean length of head seta 10, 0.045 (n=4); seta 11, 0.110 (n=4); ratio10/11, 0.41. Gula with 5 setae on each side, most posterior much heavier and longer than others. Pronotum with 3 short spiniform setae of the same length on each lateral corner. Metanotum not enlarged, with very long corner setae (not included in setal count) and 11–17 setae on posterior margin. Metasternal plate large, triangular, with 6–8 long setae. First tibia with 3 outer lateral ventral and 4 dorsal setae; femur III with 14–17 setae in ventral brush.

All abdominal segments with continuous row of tergal setae across each segment without well-defined median gap in these rows. Abdomen with tergites I–III enlarged; tergite I with straight posterior margin, II with gently curved posterior margin, III–V with slight medioposterior convexity ( Fig. 1 ). Tergal setae (including postspiracular setae and all setae between them): I, 28–43; II, 36–45; III, 33–43; IV, 39–47; V, 40–52; VI, 42–49; VII, 35–41; VIII, 21–27. Postspiracular setae extremely long only on VIII (0.40–0.43), long on II, IV and VI–VII (0.20–0.27), and shorter on I, III and V (0.15–0.17). Abdomen without anterior tergal or pleural setae; margin of pleurites I–II with only short spiniform setae, pleurites III–VII also with 3–5 much longer finer setae; margin of pleurite VIII with median long seta flanked on each side by shorter seta. Sternite I without setae. Sternite II with 18–30 medioanterior; 18–21 marginal and aster of 4–5 robust setae on each side. Sternal setae counts include marginal and lateral anterior as well as medioanterior setae together in one setal count as in Price & Dalgleish (2006). Sternal setae: III, 47–65; IV, 45–53; V, 36–44; VI, 28–33; VII, 14–19; VIII–IX, 22–30 (including 10–16 marginal setae); with 8–17 medioanterior setae on III, rarely with 2–4 on IV. Subgenital plate formed by fusion of sternites VII–IX, with posterior margin finely serrated. Anal fringe of 44–48 dorsal and 33–45 ventral setae. Dimensions: TW, 0.48–0.50; HL, 0.31–0.33; PW, 0.32–0.34; MW, 0.50–0.53; AWIV, 0.64–0.67; TL, 1.56–1.66; ANW, 0.25–0.26.

Male (8). Fig. 2 . Mean length of head seta 10, 0.039 (n=5); seta 11, 0.105 (n=5); ratio10/11, 0.37. Metanotum with 10–13 setae on posterior margin. Femur III with 15–22 setae in ventral brush.

Tergal setae: I, 29–35; II, 36–41; III, 39–46; IV, 43–49; V, 41–48; VI, 40–46; VII, 34–40; VIII, 23–27. Sternite II with 19–23 medioanterior; 14–19 marginal and aster of 3–4 robust setae on each side. Sternal setae: III, 38–55; IV, 46–55; V, 40–49; VI, 32–42; VII, 24–29; VIII, 15–23; remainder of plate, 11–16; with 5–10 medioanterior setae on III and 1–5 on IV–VI. Sternite VII separate from subgenital plate of fused VIII–IX; with 8 internal anal setae. Genitalia and genital sac sclerite as in Figs. 3 and 4 , respectively. Dimensions: TW, 0.43–0.45; HL, 0.27–0.30; PW, 0.29–0.32; MW, 0.39–0.42; AWIV, 0.47–0.51; TL, 1.32–1.37; GL, 0.41–0.43; GW, 0.11–0.12; GSL, 0.08.

Type material. Female holotype, ex Caryothraustes poliogaster , COSTA RICA: Barbilla NP, Provincia Limỏn (9°59’N, 85°27’W), 8 September 2004, Literák, Č apek & Havlίček coll. Paratypes: 5 females and 8 males with same data as holotype. Deposited in INBio – O. Sychra CR58–59.

Remarks. Both sexes of M. poliogasteri are readily characterised by a unique combination of characters as follows: (1) abdominal segments with a continuous row of tergal setae, (2) presence of medioanterior setae on sternites III–VI, (3) relative lengths of the postspiracular setae, especially the extremely long seta only on tergite VIII, (4) large number of setae on tergites IV–VI, (5) female by its abdominal tergal configuration. Four birds were examined and all were parasitised by M. poliogasteri . This is the first record of a chewing louse species from Caryothraustes poliogaster .

Etymology. The species name is derived from the specic name of the type host.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Myrsidea poliogasteri. 1, Female dorsoventral metathorax and abdomen. 2, Male. 3, Male genitalia. 4, Male genital sac sclerite.