Myrsidea zeledoni Kounek & Sychra

Kounek, Filip, Sychra, Oldrich, Capek, Miroslav & Literak, Ivan, 2011, Chewing lice of the genus Myrsidea (Phthiraptera: Menoponidae) from New World warblers (Passeriformes: Parulidae) from Costa Rica, with descriptions of four new species, Zootaxa 3137, pp. 56-63 : 60-62

Myrsidea zeledoni Kounek & Sychra sp. nov.

( Figs. 12–15 )

Type host: Phaeothlypis fulvicauda (Spix) —Buff-rumped warbler.

Female (n = 4). Hypopharyngeal sclerites slightly reduced, as in Fig. 5 . Length of head seta 10, 0.035–0.040; seta 11, 0.090; ratio10/11, 0.39–0.44. Gula with 4–6 setae on each side. Metasternal plate with 6, rarely 7 setae, metanotum enlarged, with 8 marginal setae.

Abdominal tergite I with pronounced tapered medioposterior convexity, II enlarged rounded, III with slight mediopestrior convexity ( Fig. 12 ); tergites with median gap in each setal row and setal numbers as follows: I, 14– 15; II, 17–20; III, 13–15; IV, 13–14; V, 11–12; VI, 10–11; VII, 8-9; VIII, 7-8. Postspiracular setae: extremely long (0.40–0.47) on II, IV and VIII; very long (0.22–0.29) on I and VII; and shorter (0.13–0.18) on III, V and VI. Sternal setae: II, 4 in each aster, 17–19 marginal between asters, 6–7 anterior; III, 22–28; IV, 30–31; V, 29–33; VI, 28–30; VII, 12–15; VIII–IX, 18–22 including 9–11 setae on deeply serrated vulval margin; without medioanterior sternal setae. Inner posterior seta of last tergum not longer than anal fringe setae with length 0.05–0.07; length of short lateral marginal seta of last tergum, 0.04–0.05; without medioanterior sternal setae. Dimensions: TW, 0.39–0.41; HL, 0.26–0.28; PW, 0.25–0.26; MW, 0.39–0.40; AW, 0.50–0.53; TL,1.27–1.32; ANW, 0.18–0.20.

Male (n = 4). Length of head seta 10, 0.035–0.040; seta 11, 0.090; ratio10/11, 0.39–0.44. Gula with 4–6 setae on each side. Metasternal plate with 6, rarely 7 setae, metanotum with 6 marginal setae.

Tergal setal counts: I, 9–11; II, 12–14; III, 13–14; IV, 13–14; V, 12; VI, 11; VII, 9; VIII, 6–8. Postspiracular setae: extremely long (0.37–0.45) on II, IV and VIII; very long (0.21–0.28) on I and VII; and shorter (0.10–0.15) on III, V and VI. Sternal setae: II, aster 4, 12–14 marginal between asters, 5–6 anterior ( Fig. 13 ); III, 21–23; IV, 27– 29; V, 23–32; VI, 22–28; VII, 20; VIII, 7–8; without medioanterior sternal setae. Genital sac sclerite with slight apical indentation, distinct subapical lateral projection on each side and with dark medioposterior line ( Fig. 14, 15 ). Dimensions: TW, 0.35–0.37; HL, 0.24–0.27; PW, 0.22–0.24; MW, 0.30–0.31; AW, 0.39; TL, 1.07–1.12; GW, 0.09– 0.10; GSL, 0.07–0.08.

Type material. Female holotype (O. Sychra CR178) ex Phaeothlypis fulvicauda (Spix) , COSTA RICA: Zona Protectora Las Tablas, La Amistad Lodge (8°54’N, 82°47’W; 1300 m), 20 August 2010, Sychra and Literak leg. Paratypes: 3 females and 4 males (O. Sychra CR178–181) with same data as holotype. Deposited in INBio.

Remarks. This is the first record of chewing lice from Phaeothlypis fulvicauda . Myrsidea zeledoni differs from all parulid Myrsidea by the enlarged metanotum and the shape of tergites I–III in the female. These characters place this species close to M. campestris Price & Dalgleish and M. marini Price & Dalgleish described from birds of the family Emberizidae ( Price and Dalgleish 2007) . However, the female of M. zeledoni can be separated from those two species by the following combination of features: (1) unique shape of tergites I–III ( Fig. 12 ); (2) smaller numbers of tergal setae, for example 7–9 vs. 11–23 on tergites VII–VIII, and (3) smaller dimensions. The male of M. zeledoni is almost indistinguishable from that of M. paleno , but it differs by its smaller TW (0.35–0.37 vs. 0.38) and by a larger number of setae on sternites III (21–23 vs. 17) and IV (27–29 vs. 24).

Etymology. This species is named in honor of Roberto Montero Zeledon (La Amistad Lodge, Costa Rica) for his hospitality and for giving us the opportunity to carry out our research on his private land in 2010.

Figures

FIGURES 9 – 15. 9 – 11. Myrsidea paleno sp. nov. 9. Female dorsoventral thorax and abdomen. 10, Male sternite II. 11. Male genital sac sclerite. 12 – 15. Myrsidea zeledoni sp. nov. 12. Female dorsoventral thorax and abdomen. 13. Male sternite II. 14. Male genital sac sclerite. 15. Distorted male genital sac sclerite. Scales 0.50 mm (Figs. 9, 12), 0.10 mm (Figs. 10, 13), 0.05 mm (Figs. 11, 14, 15).

FIGURES 1 – 8. 1 – 4. Myrsidea basileuteri sp. nov. 1. Hypopharyngeal sclerites. 2. Female dorsoventral thorax and abdomen. 3, Male sternite II. 4. Male genital sac sclerite. 5 – 8. Myrsidea myiobori sp. nov. 5. Hypopharyngeal sclerites. 6. Female dorsoventral thorax and abdomen. 7. Male sternite II. 8. Male genital sac sclerite. Scales 0.50 mm (Figs. 2, 6), 0.10 mm (Figs. 3, 7), 0.05 mm (Figs. 1, 4, 5, 8).