Myrsidea goodmani Price and Johnson

Price, Roger D. & Johnson, Kevin P., 2006, Four new species of Myrsidea Waterston chewing lice (Phthiraptera: Menoponidae) from the Malagasy warblers (Passeriformes), Zootaxa 1297, pp. 47-55 : 50-51

Myrsidea goodmani Price and Johnson , new species (Fig. 5)

Type host. Bernieria madagascariensis madagascariensis (J.F. Gmelin) , the Long­billed bernieria.

Male. Gula with 2–3 setae on each side. Metanotum with 6 setae on posterior margin. Tergal setae: I, 6; II, 9; III–IV, 12; V, 11; VI, 10; VII–VIII, 8. Conspicuous median gap in each tergal setal row. Postspiracular setae extremely long (0.40 or more) on tergites II, IV, and VIII, shorter (0.25–0.29) on VI–VII, and shortest (0.13–0.22) on I, III, and V. Sternal setae: II, each aster with 5 setae, remainder with 23; III, 10; IV, 18; V–VI, 20–21; VII, 13; VIII, 4. Genitalia much as in Fig. 3 , but with broad sac sclerite as in Fig. 5. Dimensions: TW, 0.39; HL, 0.28; PW, 0.24; MW, 0.36; AWIV, 0.45; GL, 0.37; TL, 1.14.

Female. Gula with 3–4 setae on each side. Metanotum with 8 setae on posterior margin. Tergites unmodified, of similar size. Tergal setae: I, 6; II, 12; III–V, 15–16; VI, 14; VII, 13; VIII, 8. Conspicuous median gap in each tergal setal row. Postspiracular setae as for male. Sternal setae: II, each aster with 5–6 setae, remainder with 21; III, 26; IV, 40; V–VI, 47–48; VII, 21; VIII–IX with 14 marginal, 13 anterior setae. Each pleurite II–V with 8–10 short marginal setae. Anus with 31–32 ventral and dorsal fringe setae.

Dimensions: TW, 0.45; HL, 0.30; PW, 0.29; MW, 0.40; AWIV, 0.59; ANW, 0.19; TL, 1.53.

Type material. Holotype female, ex B. m. madagascariensis , M ADAGASCAR: Antsiranana, Parc National de Marojejy, 15 Oct 2001, S. Goodman, SMG 12152. Paratype: 1 male, same data as holotype except 26 Oct 2001, SMG 12250.

Remarks. This species is quite similar to M. yoshizawai , with only minor and likely not significant differences in setal numbers and dimensions. The two species are, however, separated on the basis of the male of M. goodmani having a quite different structure of the genital sac sclerite (Fig. 5 vs Fig. 2 ).

Etymology. This species is named for Steve Goodman, The Field Museum, Chicago, in recognition of his assistance in collecting the lice used for this study and for his continued efforts to preserve the Malagasy fauna.

5, Myrsidea goodmani , male genital sac sclerite. 6, M. mccrackeni , female

metanotum and dorsal abdomen. 7, M. batesi , female metanotum and dorsoventral abdomen.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Myrsidea yoshizawai. 1, Entire dorsoventral male. 2, Male genital sac sclerite. 3, Male genitalia. 4, Female metanotum and dorsoventral abdomen.