Myrsidea liopari Lei, Chu, Dik, Zou, Wang & Gustafsson, 2020

Lei, Lujia, Chu, Xingzhi, Dik, Bilal, Zou, Fasheng, Wang, Haitao & Gustafsson, Daniel R., 2020, Four new species of Myrsidea (Phthiraptera: Amblycera: Menoponidae) from Chinese babblers (Passeriformes: Leiothrichidae, Paradoxornithidae, Timaliidae), Zootaxa 4878 (1), pp. 103-128 : 116-119

Myrsidea liopari Lei, Chu, Dik, Zou, Wang & Gustafsson , new species

( Figs 6 , 10 , 15–17 )

Myrsidea sp. 10; Chu et al. 2019: 338.

Type host: Lioparus chrysotis amoenus (Mayr, 1941) – golden-breasted fulvetta ( Paradoxornithidae ).

Type locality: Ailaoshan , Jingdong County, Yunnan Province, China .

Other hosts: Lioparus chrysotis swinhoii (Verreaux, 1871) .

Diagnosis. The male genital sclerite and lack of hypopharyngeal sclerite of M. liopari places this species close to M. bharat Tandan & Clay, 1971 , and M. sabthai Tandan & Clay 1971 . As female terga I–II are enlarged in M. liopari , this places this species closest to M. bharat in the key of Tandan & Clay (1971). These two species can be separated by the following characters: female tergum I with 10–11 setae in M. liopari ( Fig. 16 ), but with only 2 setae in M. bharat ; female terga IV–V with prominent gaps in the setal rows separating the 2 median setae from the other setae in M. liopari ( Fig. 16 ), but with complete or near complete setal rows in M. bharat ; tergum IX with 8–12 inner posterior setae in M. liopari ( Fig. 16 ; see below), but with only 2 inner posterior setae in M. bharat . Males of M. liopari differ from those of M. sabthai by having fewer setae on most terga; there is some overlap on terga I–III, but terga IV–VI have a maximum of 12 setae each in M. liopari , whereas these terga have a minimum of 14 setae each in M. sabthai . Males of M. liopari may have 4 inner posterior setae on tergum IX ( Fig. 15 ), whereas in M. bharat there appears to be only 2; however, some examined specimens of M. liopari have only 2 inner posterior setae in total, or have 1 on one side and 2 on the other.

Description. Female (n=8). Habitus as in Fig. 16 . Setal measurements: dhs10 = 0.030 –0.056; dhs11 = 0.091 – 0.115; ratio dhs10/11 = 0.27–0.53; ls5 = 0.013 –0.022. Ventrolateral fringe with 8–10 setae. Gular plate with 4 setae on each side. Hypopharynx similar to Fig. 6 . First tibia with 3 outer lateral ventral and 3 dorsal setae. Metanotum with posterior margin more or less straight and with 6–12 setae on posterior margin. Metasternal plate with 6–7 setae. Femoral brush with 13–17 setae. Metanotum and abdomen as in Fig. 16 . Posterior margin of tergites straight except terga II–III which are arched as in Fig. 16 . Setal rows with median gaps on all terga; terga IV–V also with prominent submedian (sensu Smith, 2000) gaps separating single median seta on each side from lateral setae. Anterior tergal setae absent. Tergal setae: I, 10–11; II, 15–17; III, 13–15; IV, 8–13; V, 8–13; VI, 11–13; VII, 11–13; VIII, 10–12; 8–12 inner posterior setae on tergum IX. Anterior sternal setae present on sterna III–VI. Sternal setae: I, 0; II, each aster of 4 setae, posterior margin with 11–15 setae and anteriorly with 8–11 setae; III, 19–24 (3–10); IV, 22–26 (14–23); V, 20–24 (16–23); VI, 18–22 (10–18); VII, 10–11 (7–11); VIII–IX, 17–29; Vulval margin deeply serrated, with 8–12 setae on margin. Anterior pleural setae absent. Pleural setae (on segments I–II thorn-like, but more median setae on ventral side slender; on segment III slender but of roughly same length as on segments I–II; on segments IV–VIII long and slender, similar to setae of sternal brushes): I, 5–8; II, 6–9; III, 6–8; IV, 5–7; V, 4–6; VI, 4–5; VII, 3–4; VIII, 3. Anus with 29–33 setae in ventral fringe and 20–33 setae in dorsal fringe. In median section about 1/3 of ventral setae much shorter than others (about 1/3 of length); all setae of dorsal fringe of roughly similar length. Measurements as in Table 3 .

Male (n=5). Much as in female, habitus as in Fig. 15 , head shape as in Fig. 17 . Setal measurements: dhs10 = 0.033 –0.044; dhs11 = 0.083 –0.109; ratio dhs10/11 = 0.38–0.49; ls5 = 0.012 –0.018. Gular plate with 4 setae on each side. Hypopharynx as in Fig. 6 . Metanotum with 6–8 setae on posterior margin. Femoral brush with 13–16 setae. Anterior setae absent on terga. Tergal setal rows with pronounced median gaps. Tergal setae: I, 6–8; II, 10–14; III, 11–14; IV, 7–12; V, 9–12; VI, 10–12; VII, 7–10; VIII, 6–7; 2–4 inner posterior setae present on tergum IX. Anterior setae present on sterna II–VII. Sternal setae: I, 0; II, each aster with 3–4, posterior margin with 11–12 setae, and anteriorly with 10–12 setae; III, 14–18 (0–6); IV, 16–22 (9–17); V, 19–20 (14–16); VI, 15–17 (11–15); VII, 9–14 (8–10); VIII–IX, 15–29. Anus with 7–9 internal setae on ventral side and 2–3 on dorsal side. Anterior pleural setae absent. Pleural setae: I, 4–6; II, 5–7; III, 6–7; IV, 5–6; V, 4–6; VI, 3–5; VII, 3; VIII, 3. Genitalia and genital sac sclerite as in Fig. 10 . Measurements as in Table 3 .

Type material: Holotype ♂, Ailaoshan , elev. 2420 m, Jingdong County, Yunnan Province, China, 4 Sep. 2018, D. R, Gustafsson & L. Lei, bird J3745, GD-PHTH-00032 ( GIABR) . Paratypes: 2♀, same locality and collectors as holotype, 2 Sep. 2018, bird J3735, GD-PHTH-00035–00036 ( GIABR) . 1♂, 1♀, same locality and collectors as holotype, 29 Aug, 2018, bird J3698, GD-PHTH-00040–41 ( GIABR) . 2♂, 2♀, Laojunshan , Pingshan County, Sichuan Province, China, 10 Aug. 2014, Y. Zhao, Y. Zhang, X. Chu, W. Li, bird J2261, GD-PHTH-00042–00044 ( GIABR) . 1♀, same data except bird J2259, GD-PHTH-00042 ( GIABR) . 1♂, same data except bird J2266, GD-

PHTH-00043 ( GIABR) . 1♀, same data, except bird J2267, GD-PHTH-00049 ( GIABR) . 1♀, same data, except bird J2268, GD-PHTH-00050 ( GIABR) .

Non-types examined: 2 nymphs, same data as holotype, GD-PHTH-00033–00034 ( GIABR) . 2 nymphs, same locality and collectors, 2 Sep. 2018, bird J3735, GD-PHTH-00037–38 ( GIABR) . 2 nymphs, same locality and collectors, 28 Aug. 2018, bird J3698, GD-PHTH-00041 ( GIABR) . 1 nymph, same locality and collectors, 2 Sep. 2018, bird J3731, GD-PHTH-00039 ( GIABR) . 1 nymph, Laojunshan , Pingshan County, Sichuan Province, China, 10 Aug. 2014, Y. Zhao, Y. Zhang, X. Chu, W. Li, bird J2261, GD-PHTH-00045 ( GIABR) . 3 nymphs, same data, except bird J2267, GD-PHTH-00048–00049 ( GIABR) . 1 nymph, same data except bird J2269, GD-PHTH-00051 ( GIABR) .

Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from the genus of the type host.

Remarks. The female head shape of Myrsidea liopari appears to differ among specimens, including those collected from the same host individual, with some of the females having a head shaped as that illustrated for the male ( Fig. 15 ). We have illustrated a female with a rounder anterior head ( Fig. 16 ) to highlight the morphological variation within this species. Specimens from Sichuan (host subspecies L. chrysotis swinhoii ) differ from specimens from the type host subspecies by females having 10–12 inner posterior setae on tergum IX (8–9 in specimens from type host). There appears to be no correlation between head shape and locality. Moreover, other characters, including setal counts, are similar among specimens with different head shapes. More specimens and genetic data are needed to confirm whether these specimens represent cryptic species or natural variation in head shape. Since there are no significant morphological differences among specimens collected from the two host subspecies, all specimens are considered conspecific.

Figures

FIGURE 15. Myrsidea liopari n. sp., male habitus, dorsal and ventral views.

FIGURE 16. Myrsidea liopari n. sp., female habitus, dorsal and ventral views.

FIGURE 17. Myrsidea liopari n. sp., male head, dorsal and ventral views.

FIGURES 4–7. Hypopharyngeal sclerites. 4, Myrsidea attenuata n. sp. 5, Myrsidea zhangae n. sp. 6, Myrsidea liopari n. sp. 7, Myrsidea suthorae n. sp. All illustrations drawn from male specimens, and to same scale.

FIGURES 8–11. Male genitalia, dorsal and ventral views. 8, Myrsidea attenuata n. sp. 9, Myrsidea zhangae n. sp. 10, Myrsidea liopari n. sp. 11, Myrsidea suthorae n. sp.