Myrsidea melancholici Price, Hellenthal and Dalgleish

Price, Roger D., Hellenthal, Ronald A. & Dalgleish, Robert C., 2005, The genus Myrsidea Waterston (Phthiraptera: Menoponidae) from tyrant­flycatchers (Passeriformes: Tyrannidae), with descriptions of 13 new species, Zootaxa 1048, pp. 1-20 : 8

Myrsidea melancholici Price, Hellenthal and Dalgleish , new species ( Fig. 8 )

Type host. Tyrannus melancholicus Vieillot , Tropical Kingbird.

Female. Dorsal thorax and abdomen as in Fig. 8 . Metanotum with 9–11 marginal setae. Tergites II–IV with slight medioposterior convexity. Tergal setae: I, 10–12; II, 14– 16; III, 12–15; IV–VI, 14–18; VII, 9–11; VIII, 8. Postspiracular seta on V shorter than very long postspiracular setae on other segments. Sternal setae: II, each aster with 4–5 setae, 26–29 other setae; III, 21–30; IV, 53–70; V, 64–74; VI, 49–58; VII, 15–23; VIII–IX of subgenital plate, 20–25. Anus with 36–41 setae in each fringe. Dimensions: TW, 0.53– 0.55; HL, 0.38–0.39; PW, 0.34–0.35; PSL, 0.12–0.14; MW, 0.51–0.53; MSL, 0.17–0.18; AWIV, 0.66–0.73; ANW, 0.25–0.26; TL, 1.66–1.82.

Male. Metanotum with 6–8 marginal setae. Tergal setae: I, 8–9; II, 12–14; III–IV, 12– 18; V, 11–15; VI, 9–18; VII, 11–12; VIII, 8. Sternal setae: II, each aster with 4, less often 5, setae, 21–26 other setae; III, 17–25; IV, 43–58; V, 55–64; VI, 41–52; VII, 16–25; VIII, 7–9. Genital sac sclerite as in Fig. 12 . Dimensions: TW, 0.48–0.49; HL, 0.33–0.35; PW, 0.30–0.31; PSL, 0.11–0.12; MW, 0.42–0.43; MSL, 0.14–0.15; AWIV, 0.53–0.55; GL, 0.49–0.52; TL, 1.44–1.47.

Type material. Holotype female ( NMNH), ex T. melancholicus , TRINIDAD: Fort Read, 2 Jul 1954, T. H. G. Aitken, Lot 54­12322. Paratypes ( NMNH, TNHM, RCD), all ex T. melancholicus : TRINIDAD: 1 female, Bush Bush Forest, Nariva Swamp, 28 May 1963, G. Aitken, TRVL 6634; 1 male, Sangre Grande, 24 Dec 1957, W. G. Downs, TRVL 6; COSTA RICA: 1 female, 6 males, Las Cruces Biological Station, Cota Brus, 18–21 Apr 1992, R. L. Fisher 146.

Remarks. Although this species is very close to Myrsidea seversoni , females are separable from the latter by the postspiracular seta on V being distinctly shorter than the ones on IV and VI. The absence of males for M. seversoni makes differentiation for that sex impossible, other than inferring that the postspiracular setae will eventually prove to be similar for both sexes.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. 1 – 2, Myrsidea magnidens. 1, Female metanotum and dorsal abdomen. 2, Male genital sac sclerite. 3, M. stenodesma female metanotum and dorsal abdomen. 4 – 6, M. pitangi. 4, Female metanotum and dorsoventral abdomen. 5, Entire dorsoventral male. 6, Male genitalia. 7, M. seversoni female dorsal thorax and abdomen. 8, M. melancholici female dorsal thorax and abdomen.

FIGURES 9 – 17. 9 – 10, Myrsidea barbati. 9, Female dorsal thorax and dorsoventral abdomen. 10, Male genital sac sclerite. 11 – 12, M. similis. 11, Female dorsal thorax and abdomen. 12, Male genital sac sclerite. 13 – 14. M. contopi. 13, Male genital sac sclerite. 14, Female dorsal thorax and abdomen. 15 – 16, M. oleaginei. 15, Female dorsal thorax and dorsoventral abdomen. 16, Male genital sac sclerite. 17, M. neocinereae female dorsal thorax and dorsoventral abdomen.