Myrsidea batesi Price and Johnson

Price, Roger D. & Johnson, Kevin P., 2006, Four new species of Myrsidea Waterston chewing lice (Phthiraptera: Menoponidae) from the Malagasy warblers (Passeriformes), Zootaxa 1297, pp. 47-55 : 52-53

Myrsidea batesi Price and Johnson , new species (Fig. 7)

Type host. Bernieria madagascariensis madagascariensis (J.F. Gmelin) , the Long­billed bernieria.

Male. Unknown.

Female. Gula with 3–4 setae on each side. Metanotum and abdomen as in Fig. 7. Metanotum with 11–12 setae on posterior margin. Tergite I enlarged, with broadly rounded posterior margin; remainder of segments with sizes as illustrated. Tergal setae: I, 6; II–IV, 18–23; V, 16–18; VI, 13–14; VII, 8–9; VIII, 7–8. With conspicuous median gap in each tergal setal row limited to segments IV–VIII. Postspiracular setae extremely short (0.04–0.06) on I and III, extremely long (>0.35) on II, IV, VII–VIII, and intermediate in length (0.19–0.30) on V–VI. Sternal setae: II, each aster with 6 setae, remainder with 23; III, 16–17; IV, 28–32; V, 36–39; VI, 30–33; VII, 16–18; VIII–IX with 11–12 marginal, 10–13 anterior setae. Each pleurite II with only 2 short marginal setae, III–V with 7–10. Anus with 32–37 ventral and dorsal fringe setae. Dimensions: TW, 0.46–0.47; HL, 0.31–0.32; PW, 0.29–0.31; MW, 0.48; AWIV, 0.64–0.65; ANW, 0.22–0.23; TL, 1.60–1.61.

Type material. Holotype female, ex B. m. madagascariensis , MADAGASCAR: Fianarantsoa, Mt. Ambatobe, 23º30’ S, 47º2’ E, 13 Nov 2003, D. Willard, DW 5572. Paratype: 1 female, same data as holotype.

Remarks. This species is quite different in a number of aspects from those shown by the first three new species described above. Even though M. batesi is from the same subspecies of B. madagascariensis as M. goodmani , these two lice are from different localities and the populations of birds between these localities show a deep genetic subdivision between them (J. Bates, pers. comm.). These two louse species differ in major aspects involving the tergal development and the associated chaetotaxy. Even in the absence of males, M. batesi is so profoundly distinctive as to make it without doubt a new species.

Etymology. This species is named for John Bates, The Field Museum, Chicago, in recognition of his assistance in understanding genetic differentiation in the Malagasy birds in this paper as well as collecting lice from a wide variety of birds.