Myrsidea strobilisternata Eichler, 1956

Valim, Michel P., Price, Roger D. & Johnson, Kevin P., 2011, New host records and descriptions of five new species of Myrsidea Waterston, 1915 (Phthiraptera: Menoponidae) from passerine birds (Aves: Passeriformes), Zootaxa 3097, pp. 1-19 : 2

Myrsidea strobilisternata Eichler, 1956

( Figs. 1–2 , 15, 18 )

Type host. Lochmias nematura obscurata Cabanis, 1873 —the Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper ( Furnariidae ).

Female (n = 1). Habitus as in Fig. 1 . Hypopharynx reduced, DHS10, 0.06 long; DHS11, 0.11 long. Gula with 5+6 setae on each side. Metanotum slightly enlarged, posterior margin rounded with 14 setae. Metasternal plate and postspiracular setae not observed. Tergites I–IV enlarged, posterior margin of tergite I damaged, tergite II rounded, III with median convexity, and IV rounded. With conspicuous median gap in each tergal setal row. Tergal setae: I, 17; II, 18; III, 23; IV, 19; V, 17; VI, 14; VII–VIII, 6. Sternal setae: II, each aster of 4 setae, posterior margin with 17 and anteriorly with at least 2; III, 27; IV, ~24; V, 32; VI, 35; VII, 26; VIII–IX with 10 marginal and 13 anterior setae. Dimensions: TW, 0.45; HL, 0.29; PW, 0.28; PSPL, 0.12; MW, 0.48; MSPL, 0.18; AWIV, 0.58; ANW, 0.20; TL, 1.53.

Male (n = 2). Habitus as in Fig. 2 . DHS10, 0.05 long; DHS11, 0.98 long. Gula with 4 (rarely 5 on one side) setae on each side. Metanotum with 8 setae on posterior margin, metasternal plate with 6 setae, as in Fig. 18 . Setae of femoral brush, 12–15. Metanotum and abdomen as in Fig. 10 . Tergal setae: I, 11–14; II, 14; III, 15–16; IV, 14– 15; V, 12–14; VI, 10–12; VII, 10–12; VIII, 8–10. Conspicuous median gap in each tergal setal row. Postspiracular setae shortest (0.11–0.12) on III, V and VI, longer (0.18) on I, and extremely long (0.30–0.39) on II, IV, VII and VIII. Sternal setae: II, each aster of 4 setae, posterior margin with 12–13 and anteriorly with 5–6; III, 18–19; IV, 24; V, 26–27; VI, 26–29; VII, 19–20; VIII, 10. Genital sac sclerite similar to that of M. ochrolaemi ( Fig. 12 ). Dimensions: TW, 0.39–0.40; HL, 0.28; PW, 0.26; PSPL, 0.10–0.12; MW, 0.34–0.35; MSPL, 0.14–0.15; AWIV, 0.43– 0.44; GL, 0.40–0.41; GSL, 0.07; TL, 1.23–1.24.

Material examined. Female holotype (WEC 3910a), ex Lochmias nematura obscurata , Bolivia: no precise locality, no date, B. Garlepp leg. (O. Sychra pers. comm.) deposited in MNHU. Two males and 1 nymph, ex Lochmias nematura , Peru: Cuzco, 20 km NW Pilcopata, elev. 900 m, 29 November 1985, D.H. Clayton coll., at FMNH.

Remarks. This species is unique among Myrsidea from furnariids by having a reduced hypopharynx and only 4 setae in each aster. The most distinctive characters of the male of M. strobilisternata are the shape of the metasternal plate ( Fig. 18 ), the chaetotaxy of the metanotum (with only 8 setae on the posterior margin), and the chaetotaxy of tergites VII–VIII ( Fig. 15 ).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Myrsidea strobiloesternata: (1) female holotype; (2) male. Myrsidea ochrolaemi: (3) female holotype; (4) additional female from Automolus ochrolaemus.

FIGURES 15 – 21. Dorsal view of Myrsidea male terminalia: (15) M. strobiloesternata; (16) M. ochrolaemi from Anabacerthia variegaticeps; (17) M. waterstoni n. sp. Metasternal plate and sternite I of males: (18) M. strobiloesternata; (19) M. ochrolaemi; (20) M. waterstoni n. sp.; (21) M. meyi n. sp. Asterisk indicates an inferred tergal seta.

FIGURES 9 – 14. Myrsidea ochrolaemi: (9) metathorax and dorsoventral abdomen of female; (10) metathorax and dorsoventral abdomen of male; (11) male genitalia; (12) male genital sac sclerite. Myrsidea waterstoni n. sp.: (13) metathorax and dorsoventral abdomen of female; (14) metathorax and dorsoventral abdomen of male.