Myrsidea anoxanthi Price and Dalgleish

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 : 13

Myrsidea anoxanthi Price and Dalgleish , new species

( Figs. 40–44 )

Type host. Loxipasser anoxanthus (Gosse) , Yellow-shouldered Grassquit.

Female (7). Gula with 4–5 setae on each side. Close to M. serini ( Fig. 39 ). Metanotum not enlarged, with 8–11 marginal setae; metasternal plate with 5–6 setae ( Fig. 41 ). Abdomen with tergites essentially unmodified. Tergal setae, with median gap only on posterior segments: I, 10–12; II, 14–16; III, 11–15; IV, 13–14; V, 11–13; VI, 11–12; VII, 8–10; VIII, 8–9. Postspiracular setae long on V–VI (0.12–0.17), extremely long on VII (0.30–0.37). Sternal setae: II, 3–4 in each aster, 11–13 marginal between asters, 8–12 anterior ( Fig. 41 ); III, 18–22; IV–V, 27–37; VI, 20–31; VII, 16–18; VIII–IX, 14–17. Dimensions: TW, 0.34–0.37; HL, 0.25–0.27; PW, 0.23–0.26; MW, 0.36–0.41; AWIV, 0.51–0.54; ANW, 0.17–0.19; TL, 1.26–1.34.

Male (4). Gula with 4–5 sete on each side. Metanotum and dorsal abdomen as in Fig. 42 . Metanotum with 10 marginal setae; metasternal plate with 5–6 setae. Tergal setae, with median gap only on posterior segments: I, 11–13; II, 15–17; III–V, 14–18; VI, 12–14; VII, 12–13, VIII, 9–11. Sternal setae: II, 3–4 in each aster, 11–13 marginal between asters, 9–10 anterior ( Fig. 43 ); III, 19–22; IV–V, 24–31; VI, 22–26; VII, 17–18; VIII, 6–9. Dimensions: TW, 0.33–0.34; HL, 0.23–0.25; PW, 0.22–0.23; MW, 0.31–0.33; AWIV, 0.39–0.43; GL, 0.35– 0.37; TL, 1.05–1.10.

Type material. Holotype female ( USNM), ex L. anoxanthus , JAMAICA: Marshall's Pen, Mandeville, Feb 1982, R.C. Dalgleish. Paratypes ( USNM): 2 females, 3 males, same data as holotype.

Other material. 4 females, 1 male, ex Sporophila minuta (L.), Ruddy-breasted Seedeater, VENEZU- ELA (1 collection).

Remarks. Both sexes of M. anoxanthi are consistently smaller than those of M. serini , generally being at or below the lowest values of the ranges given by Klockenhoff (1984). Also, the females of this new species tend to have fewer abdominal setae, especially on the anterior tergites and sternites. Males are not as clearly separated by these quantitative data, but the metanotal margin of M. anoxanthi has only 10 setae versus 11–15 for M. serini . These two species are clearly closely related, but the new species quantitatively is sufficiently distinct to justify its recognition.

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.