Myrsidea attenuata Lei, Chu, Dik, Zou, Wang & Gustafsson, 2020

Lei, Lujia, Chu, Xingzhi, Dik, Bilal, Zou, Fasheng, Wang, Haitao & Gustafsson, Daniel R., 2020, Four new species of Myrsidea (Phthiraptera: Amblycera: Menoponidae) from Chinese babblers (Passeriformes: Leiothrichidae, Paradoxornithidae, Timaliidae), Zootaxa 4878 (1), pp. 103-128 : 105-109

Myrsidea attenuata Lei, Chu, Dik, Zou, Wang & Gustafsson , new species

( Figs 1–4 , 8 )

Myrsidea sp. 6; Chu et al. 2019: 338.

Type host: Garrulax maesi maesi (Oustalet, 1890) – grey laughingthrush ( Leiothrichidae ).

Type locality: Nanling Reservation , Ruyang County, Guangdong Province, China .

Diagnosis. Myrsidea attenuata is identified as M. assamensis Tandan, 1972 , in the keys to males in Tandan (1972). The same type of genital sclerite, with a single median attenuation, is also found in Myrsidea agarwali Khan et al. 2009 . These species can be separated by the thoracic and abdominal chaetotaxy ( Table 1 ), particularly the number of setae on the metanotum and on terga I–II (and in male also tergum III).

In addition, Myrsidea attenuata can be separated from M. assamensis by number of setae in the femoral brush of femur III: 19–23 setae in female and 16–21 setae in male in M. attenuata ( Figs 1–2 ), but 24–27 setae in female and 22–25 setae in male in M. assamensis .

Males of Myrsidea attenuata can be separated from those of M. agarwali by having distinct gaps between the two median-most seta on each side of terga III–V that are distinctly larger than the gaps between the more lateral tergal setae on the same segments ( Fig. 1 ); in M. agarwali , the tergal setae on these segments are evenly spaced. Also, the genital sclerite of M. agarwali appears to lack the distal attenuated section of the median part, which is present in M. attenuata ( Fig. 5 ).

Description. Female (n=3). Habitus as in Fig. 2 . Setal measurements: dhs10 = 0.044 –0.050; dhs11 = 0.120 – 0.137; ratio dhs10/11 = 0.35–0.41; ls5 = 0.044 –0.071 Ventrolateral fringe with 10–12 setae. Gula with 4–5 setae on each side. Hypopharynx similar to Fig. 4 . First tibia with 2–3 outer lateral ventral and 4–5 dorsal setae. Metanotum with posterior margin straight and 2 setae on each side. Metasternal plate with 4–5 setae on each side.

Femoral brush with 19–23 setae. Metanotum and abdomen as in Fig. 2 . Posterior margin of tergites straight. Setal rows continuous on segments II–III, with small median gap on segments IV–VIII. Anterior setae absent on terga. Tergal setae: I, 2–4; II, 8–11; III, 12–13; IV, 12–13; V, 10–15; VI, 11; VII, 9–10; VIII, 4–5. Tergum IX with 4–5 medium-sized inner posterior setae on each side. Anterior setae present on sterna II–VI. Sternal setae: I, 0; II, each aster of 3–4 setae, posterior margin with 8–10 setae and anteriorly with 9–10 setae on one side; III, 12–14 (2–3); IV, 16–22 (11–16); V, 20–22 (20–24); VI, 20–21 (18–26); VII, 8–12 (6–10); VIII–IX, 10–15; vulval margin with 12 setae. Anus with 32–38 setae in ventral fringe and 32–38 setae in dorsal fringe; dorsal fringe with small number of short setae (about 1/2 length of other setae) interspersed centrally; all central setae of ventral fringe at most 1/3 of length of lateral setae. Pleural setae: I, 7–10 (0–1); II, 8–11 (1–3); III, 8–10 (4–6); IV, 8–9 (3–5); V, 6–8 (3–5); VI, 3–7 (1–3); VII, 5–6 (1–2), VIII: 3–5 (0–1). Measurements as in Table 2 .

Male (n=4). Much as in female, habitus as in Fig. 1 , head shape as in Fig.3 . Setal measurements: dhs10 = 0.038 –0.056; dhs11 = 0.109 –0.127; ratio dhs10/11 = 0.33–0.51; ls5 = 0.040 –0.075. Gular plate with 4 setae on each side (1 male with 5 on one side). Hypopharynx as in Fig. 4 . Metanotum with 4–6 setae on posterior margin. Femoral brush with 16–21 setae. Anterior setae absent on terga. Tergal setae: I, 2–4; II, 6; III, 7–8; IV, 10–11; V, 10–11; VI, 8–10; VII, 6–8; VIII, 4. Setal rows with small median gap in at least segments II–VIII. Inner posterior setae present on tergum IX. Anterior setae present on sternites II–VII. Sternal setae: I, 0; II, each aster with 4–5 setae, posterior margin with 15–18, and anteriorly with 23 setae; III, 21–23 (3–4); IV, 21–22 (10–16); V, 20–24 (13–17); VI, 22–24 (17–18); VII, 16 (8–12); VIII–IX, 22–23 (holotype with 8 visible, but many apparently absent). Anus with 8 internal setae on ventral side and 4–5 on dorsal side. Pleural setae: I, 5–6 (0); II, 6–8 (0–1); III, 5–9 (0–3); IV, 7–8 (1–3); V, 6–7 (1–3); VI, 6–7 (1–2); VII, 4–6 (0–2); VIII, 3–4 (0). Genitalia and genital sac sclerite as in Fig. 8 . Measurements as in Table 2 .

Type material: Holotype ♂, Nanling Reservation , Ruyang County, Guangdong Province, China, 11 Apr. 2013, Q. Zhang & Y. Zhang, bird J0819, GD-PHTH-00057 ( GIABR) . Paratypes: 2♀, Ledongjianfengling , Ledong Coun- ty, Hainan Province, China, 24 Mar. 2015, X. Che & X. Chu, GD-PHTH-00059 and GD-PHTH-000062 ( GIABR) ; 3♂, same data as previous sample, except bird J2570, GD-PHTH-00056 ( GIABR) ; 1♀, same data as previous sample, except bird J2569, GD-PHTH-00063 ( GIABR) .

Non-type specimens: 2 nymphs, same data as holotype, GD-PHTH-00058; 3 nymphs, Ledongjianfengling , Ledong County, Hainan Province, China, 24 Mar. 2015, X. Che & X. Chu, bird J2568, GD-PHTH-00059–61 ( GIABR) .

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from “ attenuare ”, Latin for “to make slender”, referring to the middle section of the genital sclerite.

Remarks. In all females, the dorsal side of the abdomen has been displaced slightly to one side due to mounting, so that the pleurites are visible only on the ventral side. Our illustration of the abdomen is as seen on the slides, without any symmetrical reconstruction.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Myrsidea attenuata n. sp., male habitus, dorsal and ventral views. Tarsi of leg I broken or distorted in all examined males, and not illustrated.

FIGURE 2. Myrsidea attenuata n. sp., female habitus, dorsal and ventral views.

FIGURE 3. Myrsidea attenuata n. sp., male head, dorsal and ventral views.

FIGURES 4–7. Hypopharyngeal sclerites. 4, Myrsidea attenuata n. sp. 5, Myrsidea zhangae n. sp. 6, Myrsidea liopari n. sp. 7, Myrsidea suthorae n. sp. All illustrations drawn from male specimens, and to same scale.

FIGURES 8–11. Male genitalia, dorsal and ventral views. 8, Myrsidea attenuata n. sp. 9, Myrsidea zhangae n. sp. 10, Myrsidea liopari n. sp. 11, Myrsidea suthorae n. sp.