Myrsidea bessae Price, Johnson

Price, Roger D., Johnson, Kevin P. & Dalgleish, Robert C., 2008, Myrsidea Waterston (Phthiraptera: Menoponidae) from wrens (Passeriformes: Troglodytidae), with descriptions of three new species, Zootaxa 1740, pp. 59-65 : 61-63

Myrsidea bessae Price, Johnson , and Dalgleish, new species

( Figs. 5–9 )

Type host. Thryothorus semibadius Salvin, 1870 , the Riverside Wren.

Female. Head with strongly developed hypopharyngeal sclerites ( Fig. 6 ). Dorsoventral metathorax and abdomen as in Fig. 5 . Metanotal posterior margin gently rounded, with 10–13 setae; metasternal plate with 6– 8 setae. With tergite I enlarged, medioposteriorly convex, slightly compressing tergites II–III. Tergal setae: I, 12–14; II, 14–15; III, 15–16; IV, 14–17; V, 14–16; VI, 10–13; VII, 8–10; VIII, 8. Postspiracular setae shortest on V–VI (<0.20 long), slightly longer on III and VII but all much shorter than those on II, IV, or VIII. Pleurites: I–VII with relatively uniform short setae; VIII with long seta flanked on each side by much shorter seta. Sternal setae: II, each aster with 4, less often 3, short setae, 12–15 marginal between asters, 8–10 anterior; III, 19–23; IV, 23–31; V, 25–33; VI, 23–26; VII, 8–14; VIII–IX, 18–24. Anus with 28–33 ventral, 29–36 dorsal fringe setae. Dimensions: TW, 0.44–0.46; HL, 0.31–0.32; PW, 0.27–0.30; MW, 0.44–0.47; AWIV, 0.56–0.63; ANW, 0.21–0.22; TL, 1.45–1.55

Male. Dorsoventral metathorax and abdomen as in Fig. 7 . Metanotal posterior margin straight, with 6–9 setae; metasternal plate with 4–6 setae. Tergal setae: I, 8–9; II–V, 12–14; VI, 10–12; VII, 8–10; VIII, 8. Sternal setae: II, 4 short setae in each aster, 9–10 marginal between asters, 7–8 anterior; III, 16–18; IV, 18–22; V, 22–24; VI, 21–24; VII, 11–15; VIII, 5–6. Genital sac sclerite tapered from broad anterior portion ( Fig. 8 ). Dimensions: TW, 0.41; HL, 0.28–0.31; PW, 0.26–0.28; MW, 0.37–0.38; AWIV, 0.44–0.47; GL, 0.38–0.41; TL, 1.19–1.28.

Type material. Holotype female (to INHS), ex T. semibadius , PANAMA: Charco Azul, 2 Mar. 2006, JMD 888, K. Johnson. Paratypes: 1 female, 1 male, same data as holotype; 1 female, 1 male, same except JMD 886 (to INHS).

Other material. 3 females, 2 males, ex T. fasciatoventris Lafresnaye, 1845 , the Black-bellied Wren, PANAMA: Charco Azul, 2 Mar. 2006, JMD 894, K. Johnson ( INHS).

Remarks. Both sexes of M. bessae are separable from those of M. whitemani by being smaller in all dimensions, by having fewer abdominal tergal and sternal setae, by their shorter and smaller number of aster setae on sternite II, and by their well-developed hypopharyngeal sclerites.

Etymology. This species is named in honor of Emilie Bess, Illinois Natural History Survey, Champaign, Illinois, in recognition of her contributions to electronic resources on lice.

Figures

FIGURES 5 – 11. 5 – 9. Myrsidea bessae. 5. Female dorsoventral metathorax and abdomen. 6. Female hypopharyngeal sclerites. 7. Male dorsoventral metathorax and abdomen. 8. Male genital sac sclerite. 9. Male genitalia. 10 – 11. M. troglodyti, third instar nymph. 10. Dorsoventral metathorax and abdomen. 11. Hypopharyngeal sclerites.