Myrsidea kulpai Hellenthal and Price

Hellenthal, Ronald A. & Price, Roger D., 2003, The genus Myrsidea Waterston (Phthiraptera: Menoponidae) from bulbuls (Passeriformes: Pycnonotidae), with descriptions of 16 new species, Zootaxa 354, pp. 1-20 : 6

Myrsidea kulpai Hellenthal and Price , new species

Type host. Pycnonotus flavescens Blyth.

Male (10). As for M. pycnonoti , except as follows. Tergal setae: II, 7–8; VI, 12–15; VII, 8–13. Sternal setae: VII, 10–14. Genital sac sclerite as in Fig. 6 . Dimensions: GSW, 0.031–0.041.

Female (5). As for M. pycnonoti , except as follows. Tergal setae: II, 8; III–IV, 17–20; V, 1 5 –19; VI, 15–18; VIII, 10–15.

Type material. Ex P. flavescens , the Flavescent Bulbul, holotype male, Doi Pui, Chieng Mai, THAILAND, 10 Feb. 1965, H. E. McClure, 5E­1852. Paratypes, all ex P. flavescens in THAILAND: 7 males, 2 females, same except 9–20 Feb. 1965, 5 E­1885 to 5E­1934 (7 collections); 1 male, 1 female, same except 25 Sept. 1966, 6E­1677; 1 male, 2 females, Doi Inthanon, Chieng Mai, 10 Dec. 1964, H. E. McClure, 5E­1876.

Remarks. Myrsidea kulpai is separated from other species of this group by the size and shape of the male genital sac sclerite coupled with, for both sexes, the length of the inner seta on tergite VII and only 7–8 setae on tergite II. The type host, P. flavescens , also is unique.

Etymology. This species is named for Charles Kulpa, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, in recognition of his interest in and support of our work on the chewing lice.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. 1 – 5, Myrsidea pycnonoti. 1, Dorsoventral male. 2, Ventral male terminalia. 3, Female metanotal margin and dorsoventral abdomen. 4, Male genitalia. 5, Male genital sac sclerite. 6, M. phillipsi male genital sac sclerite. 7, M. gieferi male ventral terminalia.