Myrsidea annae Najer & Sychra

Najer, Tomas, Sychra, Oldrich, Hung, Nguyen Manh, Capek, Miroslav, Podzemny, Petr & Literak, Ivan, 2012, Chewing lice (Phthiraptera: Amblycera, Ischnocera) from wild passerines (Aves: Passeriformes) in northern Vietnam, with descriptions of three new species, Zootaxa 3530, pp. 59-73 : 63-64

Myrsidea annae Najer & Sychra , sp. nov.

( Figs. 1 A–E, 6 A–B)

Type host: Schoeniparus rufogularis (Mandelli, 1873) – Rufous-throated Fulvetta

Female (n = 3) ( Figs 1 A–B, 6B). Hypopharynx fully developed, gula with 4 setae on each side. Metasternal plate with 4 medium long setae, metanotum not enlarged, with 17–21 marginal setae.

Abdominal tergites I–III strongly enlarged with pronounced medioposterior tapering convexity; tergite I extends to level of mid pleurite IV; tergite II to level of end of pleurite IV; tergite III to level of mid pleurite V ( Fig. 1 A). Tergite IV with pronounced enlargement, but with central part of posterior margin almost straight; tergite V compressed by enlarged previous tergites, with slightly convex posterior margin. Tergal setae, with median gap on tergites V–IX, as follows: I, 22–23; II–III, 21–25; IV, 20–24; V, 19–22; VI, 18–21; VII, 10–14; VIII, 8–9. Postspiracular setae long (0.26–0.37) on II, IV; medium long (0.16–0.26) on I and VIII; and short (0.07–0.16) on III, V, VI and VII. Sternal setae: II, 4 in each aster, 17–19 marginal between asters, 15–20 anterior; III, 25; IV, 33–34 (one specimen had fewer sternal setae; its numbers are given in parentheses; 28); V, 32–33 (24); VI, 28–30 (15); VII, 14–19 (12); VIII–IX, 9–11 marginal and 11 anterior; sternites III–VII without medioanterior setae. Sternite II with concave anterior and posterior margin, as in Fig. 1 B. Pleurites without anterior setae. Dimensions: PAW, 0.31; PAL, 0.17; TW, 0.40; POL, 0.11; HL, 0.26–0.28; PW, 0.24–0.25; ML, 0.22–0.23; MW, 0.42–0.44; AWIV, 0.55–0.63; AL, 0.75–0.79; ANW, 0.20; TL, 1.39–1.43.

Male (n = 3) ( Figs 1 C–E, 6A). Gula with 5 setae on each side. Metasternal plate with 2 setae, metanotum with 5 short setae on each postero-lateral margin.

Abdominal tergites straight, without any enlargement. Tergal setae, with median gap in each row, as follows: I, 11–13; II, 14–16; III, 15–16; IV, 10–17; V, 14; VI, 13–15; VII, 9–10; VIII, 6–9. Postspiracular setae as for female. Sternal setae: II, 4 in each aster, 13–17 marginal between asters, 7–11 anterior; III, 17–21; IV, 16–25; V–VI, 19–26; VII, 9–14; VIII, 6–7; sternites III–VII without medioanterior setae. Male genitalia as in Fig. 1 D. Genital sac sclerite with short subapical projection on each side, concave posterior margin and with long darker medioposterior line ( Fig. 1 E). Dimensions: PAW, 0.28–0.29; PAL, 0.16–0.18; TW, 0.37–0.38; POL, 0.08–0.10; HL, 0.25–0.27; PW, 0.22–0.23; ML, 0.16–0.18; MW, 0.31–0.32; AWIV, 0.39–0.41; AL, 0.61–0.62; TL, 1.15–1.18; GW, 0.10.

Type material. Holotype female (Fig. 6B) ex Schoeniparus rufogularis , VIETNAM: surroundings of the tourist center and ranger station in central part of Cuc Phuong National Park, Cuc Phuong, Province of Ninh Binh (20°15' N 105°42' E), 2 February 2010, coll. I. Literak, in IEBR VAST (O. Sychra V37). Paratypes: 2 males, 1 female with the same data as holotype but in IEBR VAST (O. Sychra V37 and V38); 1 male from 3 February 2010, other data as in holotype, 1 female with the same data as holotype but in MMBC (O. Sychra V39).

Remarks. Myrsidea annae is the first species of chewing lice known from fulvettas of the genus Alcippe ; it can easily be distinguished from other Myrsidea known from the family Timaliidae by the following characteristics: (1) fully developed hypopharynx; (2) considerably enlarged female abdominal tergites ( Fig. 1 A); (3) male genital sac sclerite with short subapical projection on each side and with concave posterior margin ( Fig. 1 E).

Tandan (1972) reviewed the species of Myrsidea parasitic on birds belonging to the family Timaliidae , and included separate male and female keys to their identification. In the key to Myrsidea females, M. annae sp. nov. keys to couplet 3, being closest to M. manipurensis Tandan, 1972 and M. duplicita Tandan, 1972 . It is readily distinguished from both aforementioned species by its different abdominal tergal configuration. In the key to Myrsidea males, M. annae sp. nov. keys to couplet 4, being closest to M. bhutanensis Tandan, 1972 . It can be separable from that of M. bhutanensis by genital sac sclerite and smaller number of setae on tergite VII (9–10 vs. 15–17).

Five of eight birds examined were parasitized by Myrsidea annae . Etymology. This species is named in remembrance of the late Anna Pospisilova, a close friend of the first author.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Myrsidea annae. A, dorso-ventral view of female. B, Female sternite II. C, dorso-ventral view of male. D, male genitalia. E, male genital sac sclerite. Scales = 0.10 mm for all figures.