Myrsidea major (Piaget)

Price, Roger D. & Dalgleish, Robert C., 2007, Myrsidea Waterston (Phthiraptera: Menoponidae) from the Emberizidae (Passeriformes), with descriptions of 13 new species, Zootaxa 1467, pp. 1-18 : 14-15

Myrsidea major (Piaget)

Menopon quadrifasc iatum var. major Piaget 1880: 441 . Type host: " Fringilla (Emberiza) nivalis " = Plectrophenax nivalis (L.), Snow Bunting.

Female (6). Gula with 5, less often 4, setae on each side. Close to M. serini ( Fig. 39 ). Metanotum not enlarged, with 11–12 marginal setae; metasternal plate with 6 setae. Abdomen with tergites essentially unmodified. Tergal setae, with at most only weak median gap: I, 13–14; II, 14–17; III, 14–18; IV–V, 12–15; VI, 10–13; VII, 8–10; VIII, 8. Postspiracular setae long to very long on V–VI (0.18–0.33), extremely long on VII (0.38–0.45). Sternal setae: II, 4–5 in each aster, 12–14 marginal between asters, 9–10 anterior; III, 20–24; IV–V, 30–35; VI, 25–27; VII, 11–15; VIII–IX, 16–21. Dimensions: TW, 0.42–0.43; HL, 0.28–0.31; PW, 0.28–0.30; MW, 0.42–0.44; AWIV, 0.58–0.64; ANW, 0.21–0.23; TL, 1.60–1.66.

Male. Unknown.

Material examined. 6 females, ex P. n i v a l i s, (no location data) representing lectotype and paratypes, the entire type series of this species, bearing slide numbers 842 and 841 respectively.

Remarks. Although the material for M. major is limited to the females of the type series, this species is clearly a member of the serini species group. They are morphologically closest to M. serini , differing principally in having longer postspiracular setae on tergites V–VII, somewhat greater total length, and fewer setae on tergite VII. While these differences are not profound, we have opted to continue to recognize this as a valid species pending additional collections from the type host and the study of male specimens.

Figures

FIGURES 37 – 44. 37 – 38. Myrsidea marini. 37. Female metanotum and dorsoventral abdomen. 38. Male sternite II. 39. M. serini female metanotum, dorsal abdomen, and ventral terminalia. 40 – 44. M. anoxanthi. 40. Female hypopharyngeal sclerites. 41. Female metasternum and sternites I – III. 42. Male metanotum and dorsal abdomen. 43. Male sternite II. 44. Male genital sac sclerites.