Myrsidea zenae Price and Dalgleish, 2006

Price, Roger D. & Dalgleish, Robert C., 2006, Myrsidea Waterston (Phthiraptera: Menoponidae) from tanagers (Passeriformes: Thraupidae), with descriptions of 18 new species, Zootaxa 1174, pp. 1-25 : 15-19

Myrsidea zenae Price and Dalgleish , new species (Figs. 19–21)

Type host. Spindalis zena (L.), Western Spindalis .

Female (10). Metanotum and dorsal abdomen as in Fig. 19. Metanotum with 8–9 marginal setae, with broadly rounded posterior margin. Abdominal tergites (Fig. 19) with I–II reduced, III medially divided with tongue­like insertion in center, IV with transverse division, V with slight medioposterior convexity, and VI–VIII normal. Tergal setae: I, 11–16; II–III, 22–29; IV, 17–23; V, 17–22; VI, 16–21; VII, 14–18; VIII, 8–9. Postspiracular setae extremely long on IV, shortest on III and V–VII. Sternal setae: II, 29–34; III, 27–35; IV, 30–36; V, 32–40; VI, 28–36; VII, 10–14; VIII–IX, 25–35. Dimensions: TW, 0.49–0.53; HL, 0.32–0.34; PW, 0.31–0.33; MW, 0.48–0.53; AWIV, 0.62–0.69; ANW, 0.22–0.25; TL, 1.48–1.58.

Male (10). Metanotum with 8–10 marginal setae. Tergal setae: I, 12–16; II–III, 19–23; IV–VI, 17–21; VII, 14–18; VIII, 8–10. Sternal setae: II, 28–32, with deeply arched sclerite (Fig. 20); III, 24–30; IV, 32–36; V, 34–42; VI, 37–45; VII, 28–37; VIII, 17–25. Genital sac sclerite 0.060–0.080 long, as in Fig. 21. Dimensions: TW, 0.46–0.48; HL, 0.30–0.32; PW, 0.29–0.33; MW, 0.40–0.43; AWIV, 0.48–0.50; TL, 1.30–1.37.

Type material. Holotype female, ex S. zena , JAMAICA: Marshall’s Pen , Mandeville, Feb 1982, R. C. Dalgleish . Paratypes: 14 females, 13 males, same data as holotype ; 16 females, 20 males, same except Feb 1981, R. C. Dalgleish 802.

Remarks. This is the most distinctive of the thraupid Myrsidea . The female has a unique metanotal and tergal configuration on I–IV (Fig. 19); the male has a distinctive shape of sternite II (Fig. 20) and an unusual genital sac sclerite structure (Fig. 21).

Myrsidea rufi Price and Dalgleish , new species (Figs. 22–23)

Type host. Tachyphonus rufus (Boddaert) , White­lined Tanager.

Female (10). Metanotum not enlarged, with 10–12 marginal setae. Abdominal tergites (Fig. 22) with I enlarged but with straight posterior margin, II medially greatly enlarged, causing compression of tergites III–VI. Tergal setae: I, 16–18; II, 13–17; III–VII, 12–16; VIII, 10–12. Postspiracular setae extremely long on IV and VII, shortest on III and V–VI. Sternal setae: II, 21–30; III, 21–26; IV, 31–34; V, 33–37; VI, 24–31; VII, 10–13; VIII–IX, 18–23. Dimensions: TW, 0.46–0.49; HL, 0.30–0.34; PW, 0.28–0.32; MW, 0.43–0.48; AWIV, 0.59–0.64; ANW, 0.21–0.24; TL, 1.45–1.58.

Male (10). Metanotum with 8–11 marginal setae. Tergal setae: I–V, 11–16; VI, 11–14; VII, 10–14; VIII, 10–11. Sternal setae: II, 22–26; III, 20–26; IV, 26–33; V, 30–35; VI, 26– 33; VII, 13–19; VIII, 5–9. Genital sac sclerite 0.080–0.100 long, as in Fig. 23. Dimensions: TW, 0.43–0.45; HL, 0.29–0.33; PW, 0.27–0.29; MW, 0.38–0.40; AWIV, 0.48–0.53; TL, 1.28–1.34.

Type material. Holotype female, ex T. rufus , TRINIDAD: Arima, Simla , 22 Mar 1976, R. C. Dalgleish . Paratypes, all ex T. rufus : 12 females, 8 males, same data as holotype; 15 females, 12 males, same except 14 Mar 1976 ; 6 females, 2 males, same except 28 Mar 1976; 5 females, 2 males, Simla near Arima, 11 Mar 1980 , R. C. Dalgleish 709 and 743; 1 female, Arima, Simla Biological Station , 18 Mar 1978 , R. C. Dalgleish 528; 3 females, 2 males, TOBAGO: Mt St George , 16 Mar 1980 , R. C. Dalgleish 691; 1 male, same except 17 Mar 1980, 680.

Remarks. Among the species of this group, such an extensive enlargement of female tergite II is unique to M. rufi and to the following new species M. phoenicii . For these two species, the female of M. rufi is recognized by its tergite I with at least 16 setae and the male by sternite VIII with at least 5 setae.

Myrsidea phoenicii Price and Dalgleish , new species

Type host. Tachyphonus phoenicius Swainson , Red­shouldered Tanager.

Female (6). Metanotum not enlarged, with 11–12 marginal setae. Dorsal abdomen shaped much as in Fig. 22 for M. rufi . Tergal setae: I, 12–14; II–III, 14–16; IV, 13–15; V– VI, 13–17; VII, 12–16; VIII, 10–12. Postspiracular setae as for M. rufi . Sternal setae: II, 24–29; III, 20–27; IV–V, 26–34; VI, 22–29; VII, 10–11; VIII–IX, 19–22. Dimensions: TW, 0.47–0.48; HL, 0.33–0.34; PW, 0.29–0.30; MW, 0.44–0.45; AWIV, 0.56–0.59; ANW, 0.20–0.22; TL, 1.45–1.53.

Male (1). Metanotum with 10 marginal setae. Tergal setae: I, obscured; II–VII, 13–15; VIII, 10. Sternal setae: II, 24; III, 21; IV, 27; V, 31; VI, 27; VII, 15; VIII, 3. Genital sac sclerite 0.100 long, as in Fig. 23. Dimensions: TW, 0.44; HL, 0.31; PW, 0.28; MW, 0.38; AWIV, 0.49; TL, 1.29.

Type material. Holotype female, ex T. phoenicius , VENEZUELA: 60 km E Sta Elena, Edo Bolivar, Jan 1987, R. C. Dalgleish . Paratypes: 5 females, 1 male, same data as holotype .

Remarks. Myrsidea phoenicii and M. rufi both differ from others of this group by their females with a much enlarged tergite II. The separation of these two species is based on M. phoenicii females having only 12–14 setae on tergite I and males having 3 setae on sternite VIII.

Myrsidea diglossae Price and Dalgleish , new species (Fig. 24)

Type host. Diglossa lafresnayii (Boissonneau) , Glossy Flowerpiercer.

Female (8). Metanotum not enlarged, with 10–12 marginal setae. Dorsal abdomen (Fig. 24) with tergite I slightly larger than others, and I–IV having slight medioposterior convexity. Tergal setae: I, 14–16; II, 17–19; III–V, 18–21; VI, 16–22; VII, 15–18; VIII, 11–12. Postspiracular setae extremely long on IV and VII, much shorter on III and V–VI. Sternal setae: II, 24–27; III, 20–26; IV–V, 29–35; VI, 26–33; VII, 12–17; VIII–IX, 20–26. Dimensions: TW, 0.41–0.42; HL and PW, 0.25–0.29; MW, 0.37–0.41; AWIV, 0.52–0.56; ANW, 0.16–0.18; TL, 1.34–1.42.

Male (6). Metanotum with 9–10 marginal setae. Tergal setae: I, 14–18; II, 16–20; III– V, 17–22; VI–VII, 15–18; VIII, 10–14. Sternal setae: II, 25–30; III, 20–25; IV–V, 26–34; VI, 26–28; VII, 12–16; VIII, 6–9. Genital sac sclerite 0.070–0.090 long, as in Fig. 7. Dimensions: TW, 0.38–0.39; HL and PW, 0.24–0.27; MW, 0.34–0.37; AWIV, 0.45–0.48; TL, 1.12–1.24.

Type material. Holotype female, ex D. lafresnayii , VENEZUELA: Bocono , Trujillo, 5 Mar 1986, R. C. Dalgleish . Paratypes: 7 females, 6 males, same data as holotype .

Remarks. This is the first of four species of this group for which the female has no exaggerated development of the abdominal tergites, but there is some associated medioposterior convexity. Myrsidea diglossae has a slight medioposterior convexity associated with tergites I–IV, with tergite I only slightly larger than the following ones. Dimensions and number of tergal and sternal setae afford the best features for its separation from the other species.

Myrsidea venustae Price and Dalgleish , new species (Fig. 25)

Type host. Dacnis venusta Lawrence , Scarlet­thighed Dacnis .

Female (1). Metanotum not enlarged, with 9 marginal setae. Dorsal abdomen (Fig. 25) with tergites I–II slightly enlarged, I–III with small medioposterior convexity. Tergal setae: I, 11; II–III, 15; IV–V, 11–12; VI–VIII, 8–9. Postspiracular setae extremely long on IV, very long on VII, shorter on III and V–VI. Sternal setae: II, 19; III, 15; IV, 27; V, 25; VI, 20; VII, 10; VIII–IX, 14. Dimensions: TW, 0.39; HL, 0.29; PW, 0.27; MW, 0.38; AWIV, 0.53; ANW, 0.18; TL, 1.37.

Male. Unknown.

Type material. Holotype female, ex D. venusta , COSTA RICA: Las Cruces Biological Station , Cota Brus, 18–21 Apr 1992, R. L. Fisher 201.

Remarks. Although M. venustae is represented by only one female and is very similar to M. diglossae , it is separated by its smaller temple width, fewer setae on all tergites and sternites, and the somewhat shorter postspiracular setae on VII.