Myrsidea patersoni Price and Johnson

Price, Roger D. & Johnson, Kevin P., 2009, Five new species of Myrsidea Waterston (Phthiraptera: Menoponidae) from tanagers (Passeriformes: Thraupidae) in Panama, Zootaxa 2200, pp. 61-68 : 64-65

Myrsidea patersoni Price and Johnson , new species

(Figs. 3, 4)

Type host. Eucometis penicillata (Spix) , the Grey-headed Tanager.

Female (6). Gula with 4 setae on each side, sometimes 3 or 5. Metanotum and dorsal abdomen as in Fig. 3. Metanotum not enlarged, posterior margin with 8–10 setae; metasternal plate with 5–6 setae. All tergites of essentially similar length, I with straight margin, II, III, and occasionally IV with very slight medioposterior convexity, remainder with straight margin. Tergal setae: I, 12–15; II, 14–16; III–VI, 15–18; VII, 14–16; VIII, 11–14. Postspiracular setae extremely long on II, IV, VII, and VIII (>0.40 long), considerably shorter on III, V, and VI (<0.22 long), intermediate to these in length on I. Sternal setae: II, 4 in each aster, 15–21 marginal between asters, 7–9 anterior; III, 21–28; IV, 33–36; V, 35–42; VI, 32–34; VII, 16–20; VIII–IX, 19–24. Anus with 33–38 setae in each ventral and dorsal fringe. Dimensions: TW, 0.48–0.49; HL, 0.32–0.33; PW, 0.29– 0.31; MW, 0.44–0.47; AWIV, 0.65–0.69; ANW, 0.23–0.24; TL, 1.62–1.65.

Male (4). Gula with 4, sometimes 3, setae on each side. Metanotal posterior margin with 6–8 setae; metasternal plate with 4–6 setae. Tergal setae: I, 10–12; II, 12–14; III–VI, 13–17; VII, 13–16; VIII, 10–12. Postspiracular setae as for female. Sternal setae: II, 4 in each aster, 14–16 marginal between asters, 8–10 anterior; III, 19–24; IV, 26–29; V, 31–33; VI, 27–31; VII, 14–18; VIII, 6–8. Genital sac sclerite as in Fig. 4, with parallel-sided terminally truncated apical portion. Dimensions: TW, 0.44–0.45; HL, 0.30–0.31; PW, 0.28–0.30; MW, 0.38–0.42; AWIV, 0.50–0.52; GL, 0.47–0.49; TL, 1.29–1.37.

Type material. Holotype female, ex E. penicillata , PANAMA: Charco Azul, 2 Mar 2006, JMD 861, K Johnson. Paratypes: 1 female, 2 males, same data as holotype; 3 females, 2 males, same except JMD 859; 1 female, same except JMD 895.

Remarks. The female of M. patersoni goes to M. surinami Price and Dalgleish and M. ramphoceli Price and Dalgleish in couplet 21, but does not satisfy either of these species. Both of these two have very long to extremely long postspiracular setae on all tergites and also differ in some dimensions and numbers of setae. The male of M. patersoni keys to M. rufi Price and Dalgleish in couplet 19. The differing genital sac sclerites distinguish these species. The female of M. rufi has a pronounced medioposterior convexity of tergite II, something lacking for M. patersoni .

Etymology. This species is named for Adrian Paterson, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand, in recognition of his contributions to the systematics of lice.