Myrsidea mcleannani, Sychra, Old Ì Ich, Literák, Ivan, Apek, Miroslav Č & Martin, 2006

Sychra, Old Ì Ich, Literák, Ivan, Apek, Miroslav Č & Martin, 2006, Chewing lice (Phthiraptera) from typical antbirds and ground antbirds (Passeriformes: Thamnophilidae, Formicariidae) from Costa Rica, with descriptions of three new species of the genera Formicaphagus and Myrsidea, Zootaxa 1206, pp. 47-61 : 52-54

Myrsidea mcleannani , new species

( Figs. 8–9 , 12–13 )

Male (2). Head without lateral notch or slit; lateral sides of preantennal region conspicuously concave; hypopharyngeal sclerites strongly developed. Mean length of head seta 10, 0.055 (n=2); seta 11, 0.114 (n=2); ratio10/11, 0.48. Latero­ventral fringe with 8–9 setae; inner occipital setae long, outer very short; each side of temple margin with 1 long and 3 very long setae; gula with 3–4 setae on each side, posteriormost much thicker and longer than others. Pronotum with 6 moderately long posterior marginal setae, 2 short spiniform setae, and 1 finer seta at each lateral corner; well­developed elongate prosternal plate rounded anteriorly, with pair of minute anterior setae ( Fig. 9 ). Mesonotum with median division, with pair of minute setae adjacent to postnotum; segment ringed by sclerite, with large mesosternal plate. Metanotum not enlarged, with very long corner setae and 4 setae on posterior margin. Pleural margin of metathorax with 3 (rarely 4) short, robust setae; metasternal plate large, triangular, with 2–3 long setae on each side. First tibia with 3–4 outer lateral ventral and 4–5 dorsal setae; femur III with 13–14 setae in ventral setal brush. Tergal setae (including the postspiracular setae and all setae between them): I, 10–12; II, 16; III–IV, 20–21; V–VI, 18–19; VII, 16; VIII, 8. Postspiracular setae extremely long on II, IV and VIII, long on III and VI–VII and shorter on I and V. Abdomen without anterior tergal or pleural setae; margin of pleurites I–IV with only short spiniform setae, pleurites V–VII with 1–2 longer finer setae; margin of pleurite VIII with median long seta flanked on each side by shorter seta. Sternal setae on II, 24–25 marginal, including cluster of 5–6 robust setae on each side. Marginal setae of sternite: III, 12–17; IV–VI, 19–21; VII, 13–14; VIII of subgenital plate, 7; remainder of plate, 10–14. Lateral anterior sternal setae: III, 1–2; IV–VI, 3–6; VII, 2, without medioanterior setae. Sternite VII separate from subgenital plate of fused VIII–IX; with 10 internal anal setae. Length of inner posterior seta of last tergum 0.047 (n=1); short lateral marginal seta of last segment 0.023 (n=2). Male genitalia of typical Myrsidea type. Genital sclerite comprises a flattened plate with ventral and dorsal arm each side. Genitalia and character of genital sclerite as in Figs. 12–13 . Dimensions: TW, 0.46–0.47; HL, 0.31–0.32; PW, 0.30–0.31; PSL, 0.12–0.13; MW, 0.41–0.42; MSL, 0.15; AWIV, 0.53; TL, 1.44–1.45; GL, 0.47–0.53; GW, 0.12; GPL, 0.09.

Female (2). As in Fig. 8 . Most features as in male. Mean length of head seta 10, 0.052 (n=4); seta 11, 0.113 (n=4); ratio10/11, 0.45. Setae of femoral brush, 17–19. Abdomen without conspicuously enlarged tergites; with tergal setae: I, 10–12; II, 17–21; III–IV, 20– 22; V–VI, 19–20; VII, 14–15; VIII, 8. Sternal setae on II, 5–6 medioanterior; 26–30 marginal, including cluster of 6–7 robust setae on each side. Marginal setae of sternite: III, 15–19; IV–VI, 21–25; VII of subgenital plate, 14–17; remainder of plate with 8–10 marginal, 15–16 anterior setae. Subgenital plate formed by fusion of sternites VII–IX, with posterior margin finely serrated. Lateral anterior sternal setae: III, 1–3; IV–VI, 7–10; VII, 2–5; without medioanterior setae. Anal fringe of 30–38 dorsal and 39–40 ventral setae. Mean length of inner posterior seta of last tergum 0.054 (n=4); short lateral marginal seta of last segment 0.032 (n=4). Dimensions: TW, 0.51; HL, 0.33–0.36; PW, 0.33; PSL, 0.14; MW, 0.50; MSL, 0.16; AWIV, 0.69–0.73; TL, 1.70–1.78; ANW, 0.31–0.32.

Type material. Female holotype, male allotype, ex Phaenostictus mcleannani , COSTA RICA: Hitoy Cerere BR, Limón province (940’N, 8505’W), 25 August 2004, Literák, Č apek, Havlíček. Paratypes: 1 female and 1 male with same data as holotype. Deposited in INBIO—O. Sychra CR11–13.

Remarks. Both sexes of this species are characterized by a combination of large dimensions, lateral margins of preantennal region conspicuously concave, the relative lengths of their postspiracular setae, and the absence of medioanterior sternal setae. Furthermore, males are distinguished by having 10 internal anal setae and by features of the genital sclerite. The male genital sclerite comprising ventral and dorsal arms, is similar to that of furnarid­ and icterid­parasitizing Myrsidea or M. ishizawai Uchida, 1926 from Zoothera dauma (Latham) (Turdidae) , but it can be separated from that species by the shape of the distal part of the dorsal arm, which is not toothed. Two birds were examined and both were parasitised by Myrsidea mcleannani .

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Figures

FIGURE 8 – 11. Myrsidea mcleannanii n. sp. 8 — female; 9 — prosternal plate; M. klimesi n. sp. 10 — female; 11 — prosternal plate. Scales 1 mm (Figs 8, 10), 0.10 mm (Figs 9, 11).

FIGURE 12 – 15. Myrsidea mcleannanii n. sp. 12 — male genitalia; 13 — male genitalia sclerite; M. klimesi n. sp. 14 — male genitalia; 15 — male genitalia sclerite. Scales 0.10 mm (Figs 12, 14), 0.05 mm (Figs 13, 15).