Myrsidea roubalovae Kounek and Sychra

Kounek, Filip, Sychra, Oldrich, Capek, Miroslav, Lipkova, Alexandra & Literak, Ivan, 2011, Chewing lice of the genus Myrsidea (Phthiraptera: Menoponidae) from the Cardinalidae, Emberizidae, Fringillidae and Thraupidae (Aves: Passeriformes) from Costa Rica, with descriptions of four new species, Zootaxa 3032, pp. 1-16 : 10-12

Myrsidea roubalovae Kounek and Sychra sp. nov.

( Figs. 7–9 )

Type host. Ramphocelus sanguinolentus (Lesson) —Crimson-collared Tanager

Female (n = 3). This species belongs to the fusca species group (sensu Price and Dalgleish 2006). Length of head seta 10, 0.035; seta 11, 0.100–0.105; ratio10/11, 0.33–0.35. Gula with 5 setae on each side. Metasternal plate with 6 setae, metanotum not enlarged with almost straight posterior margin, with 17–22 marginal setae.

Abdomen very similar to M. rubica with tergite I largest with strongly convex posterior margin, II–IV with slight mediopestrior convexity ( Fig. 7 ). Tergal setae, with median gap in each row: I, 6 (one female with 11); II, 19; III, 24–25; IV, 25–27; V, 22–27; VI, 22–24; VII, 18–23; VIII, 14–16. Postspiracular setae extremely long (>0.50) on II, IV and VIII; very long (0.40) on VII; long (0.27) on I and short (0.18–0.21) on III, V and VI. Sternal setae: II, 4 in each aster, 17–19 marginal between asters, 10–11 anterior; III, 33; VI, 38–47; V, 44–57; VI, 41–42; VII, 23; VIII–IX, 20–22; without medioanterior setae. Dimensions: TW, 0.46–0.47; HL, 0.29–0.30; PW, 0.28–0.29; MW, 0.45–0.49; AW, 0.58–0.60; TL, 1.47–1.55; ANW, 0.24–0.25.

Male (n = 9). Length of head seta 10, 0.035–0.040; seta 11, 0.095–0.105; ratio10/11, 0.33–0.42. Metanotum with 13–15 marginal setae. Tergal setae: I, 11–14; II,18–22; III, 20–25; IV, 20–23; V, 19–24; VI, 18–23; VII, 15– 21; VIII, 13–15. Postspiracular setae extremely long (0.50–0.55) on II, IV and VIII; very long (0.40) on VII; long (0.25–0.27) on I and short (0.15–0.18) on III, V and VI. Sternal setae: II, 4 in each aster, 15–17 marginal between asters, 7–9 anterior ( Fig. 8 ); III, 23–31; IV, 33–40; V, 35–41; VI, 32–39; VII, 21–25; VIII, 8–10; without medioanterior setae. Genital sac sclerite with slight apical indentation and distinct subapical lateral projections ( Fig. 9 ). Dimensions: TW, 0.42–0.43; HL, 0.26–0.29; PW, 0.26–0.27; MW, 0.34–0.36; AW, 0.45–0.47; TL, 1.18–1.30; GW, 0.11; GL, 0.42–0.44; GSL, 0.08.

Type material. Female holotype (O.Sychra CR144), ex Ramphocelus sanguinolentus (Thraupidae) , COSTA RICA: Tapanti National Park, Sector Tapanti (09°46’N, 83°47’W; 1200m), 8 August 2009, Sychra and Literak leg.

Paratypes: 1 female and 4 males with the same data as holotype (O.Sychra CR144–146). Deposited in INBio. Other specimens deposited in MZM.

Remarks. This is the first record of a chewing louse from Ramphocelus sanguinolentus . The female of M. roubalovae sp. nov. is very similar to M. rubica sp. nov., but can easily be separated by its large number of metanotal setae (13–22 vs. 6 setae). This characteristic together with a large number of tergal setae places M. roubalovae sp. nov. close to M. fuscicaudae . However, females of M. roubalovae sp. nov. can be separated from those of M. fuscicaudae by a larger number of setae on tergite VIII (14–16 vs. 9–10) and sternites VI (44–57 vs. 32–34) and VII (23 vs. 14–15). Also, M. roubalovae sp. nov. is very similar to M. fusca —from Ramphocelus passerini , a closely related tanager to the type host—but has a smaller number of both metanotal (12–16 vs. 17–22) and tergal setae (especially tergites III–IV each with not>21 setae vs. at least 24 setae). On the other hand, the of male M. roubalovae sp. nov. has the same type of genital sac sclerite as that of M. fusca , but M. fuscicaudae has a different genital sac sclerite (compare Fig. 9 vs. Fig. 12 ). Males of M. roubalovae sp. nov. can be separated from those of M. fusca by larger number of tergal setae, especially on tergites III–IV (20–25 vs. 16–19) and II (18–22 vs. 15–17).

Etymology. This species is named in honor of Eva Roubalova, our colleague and friend, in recognition of her friendship.

Figures

FIGURES 7 – 12. 7 – 9. Myrsidea roubalovae sp. nov. 7, Female (dorsal side on the left, ventral side on the right). 8, Male sternite II. 9, Male genital sac sclerite. 10 – 12. Myrsidea rubica sp. nov. 10, Female (dorsal side on the left, ventral side on the right). 11, Male sternite II. 12, Male genital sac sclerite. Scales 0.50 mm (Figs. 7, 10), 0.10 mm (Figs. 8, 11), 0.05 mm (Figs. 9, 12).