Myrsidea habiae Kolencik & Sychra, 2017

Literak, Ivan, 2017, Where are the species limits? Morphology versus genetics in Neotropical chewing lice of the genus Myrsidea (Phthiraptera: Menoponidae), with description of three new species, Zootaxa 4324 (1), pp. 161-179 : 168-169

Myrsidea habiae Kolencik & Sychra , new species

( Figs 2 , 6–7 )

Type host. Habia rubica (Vieillot, 1817) —Red-crowned ant-tanager ( Cardinalidae ).

Type locality. San Rafael National Park , Paraguay (26°30'S, 55°47'W).

Diagnosis. Due to the same type of enlarged metanotum in females and same type of genital sac sclerite in males ( Fig. 2 ), this species is very similar to Myrsidea laciniaesternata Eichler, 1956 (see Price & Dalgleish 2006: figs 1–4) but it can be separated by (1) the larger dimensions of the head (in females TW, 0.48–0.50 and HL, 0.32– 0.33 against TW, 0.46–0.48 and HL, 0.31–0.32 in M. laciniaesternata ; in males TW, 0.43–0.44 and HL, 0.30–0.32 against TW, 0.41–0.43 and HL, 0.29–0.30 in M. laciniaesternata ) and (2) fewer setae in females on tergites III–V (total number of setae on these tergites is 42–62 against 63–89 in M. laciniaesternata ) and in males on tergites I–III (total number of setae on these tergites is 23–30 against 35–51 in M. laciniaesternata ).

Description. Female (n = 4). As in Fig. 6 . Hypopharyngeal sclerites fully developed. Length of DHS 10, 0.035–0.037; DHS 11, 0.100–115; ratio DHS 10/11, 0.30–0.37. Ls5 0.06 long, latero-ventral fringe with 10–11 setae. Gula with 3–5 setae on each side. Pronotum with 6–7 setae on posterior margin and 3 short spiniform setae at each lateral corner. First tibia with 3 outer ventro-lateral and 4 dorso-lateral setae. Metanotum enlarged, with 8 marginal setae; metasternal plate with 6–8 setae; metapleurites with 3–4 short strong spiniform setae. Femur III with 15–17 setae in ventral setal brush. Tergites modified as in M. laciniaesternata (see Price & Dalgleish 2006: fig. 4). Abdominal segments with well-defined median gap in each row of tergal setae. Tergal setae: I, 17–20; II, 13–24; III, 1 3–21; IV, 13–21; V, 16–20; VI, 13–15; VII, 10–12; VIII, 4–6. Postspiracular setae very long on II, IV and VIII (0.41–0.49); long on I and VII (0.22–0.31); and short on III, V and VI (0.14–0.20). Inner posterior seta of last tergum not longer than anal fringe setae with length 0.08–0.09; length of short lateral marginal seta of last segment, 0.05–0.06. Pleural setae: I, 4–6; II, 7–8; III, 7–10; IV, 7–8; V, 5–6; VI, 5; VII, 4–5; VIII, 3. Pleurites I–III with only short spine-like setae; pleurites IV–VII with 1–2 slender and longer setae on inner ventral side. Anterior margin of sternal plate II with a medial notch. Sternal setae: I, 0; II, 4–5 in each aster, aster setae length: s1, 0.08; s2, 0.05–0.06; s3, 0.04–0.05; s4, 0.03–0.04; with 15–18 marginal setae between asters, 4–8 medioanterior; III, 23– 26; IV, 25–29; V, 30–38; VI, 29–31; VII, 14–21; VIII–IX, 8–15; and 12–13 setae on deeply serrated vulval margin; without medioanterior setae on sternites III–VII. Anal fringe formed by 28–38 dorsal and 30–37 ventral setae. Dimensions: TW, 0.48–0.50; POW, 0.36–0.38; HL, 0.32–0.33; PW, 0.28–0.29; MW, 0.44–0.50; AW, 0.65–0.70; ANW, 0.20–0.23; TL, 1.53–1.55.

Male (n = 4). As in Fig. 7 . Length of DHS 10, 0.030–0.035; DHS 11, 0.100–0.110; ratio DHS 10/11, 0.30– 0.35. Ls5 0.04–0.06 long, latero-ventral fringe with 9–11 setae. Gula with 4–5 setae on each side. Pronotum with 6 setae on posterior margin and 3 short spiniform setae at each lateral corner. First tibia with 3 outer ventro-lateral and 4 dorso-lateral setae. Metanotum enlarged with 4 marginal setae; metasternal plate with 6–7 setae; metapleurites with 3–4 short spiniform strong setae. Femur III with 12–14 setae in ventral setal brush. Abdominal segments with well-defined median gap in each row of tergal setae. Tergal setae: I, 6–8; II, 8–9; III, 9–13; IV, 11– 15; V, 9–13; VI, 7–12; VII, 6–8; VIII, 4–5. Postspiracular setae very long on II, IV and VIII (0.48–0.50); long on I and VII (0.24–0.31); and short on III, V and VI (0.13–0.16). Length of inner posterior seta of last tergum, 0.05– 0.07; short lateral marginal seta of last segment, 0.02–0.03. Pleural setae: I, 4–5; II, 6–7; III, 7; IV, 5–6; V, 5–6; VI, 5; VII, 4–5; VIII, 3. Pleurites I–III with only short spine-like setae; pleurites IV–VII with 0–2 slender and longer setae on inner ventral side. Anterior margin of sternal plate II with a medial notch. Sternal setae: I, 0; II, 4 in each aster, aster setae length: s1, 0.08–0.09; s2, 0.05–0.06; s3, 0.05; s4, 0.03–0.04; with 12–16 marginal setae between asters, 4–6 medioanterior; III, 18–20; IV, 2 0–22; V, 23–26; VI, 23–25; VII, 14–17; VIII, 6; remainder of plate, 6–8; with 3 setae posteriorly. With 8 internal anal setae. Genital sac sclerite as in Fig. 2 . Dimensions: TW, 0.43–0.44; POW, 0.31–0.33; HL, 0.30–0.32; PW, 0.26–0.28; MW, 0.37–0.39; AW, 0.46–0.47; GW, 0.110–0.115; GSL, 0.09; TL, 1.23–1.30.

Etymology. This species epithet is a noun in apposition derived from the generic name of the type host.

Type material. Ex Habia rubica : Holotype ♀, San Rafael National Park , Paraguay (26°30'S, 55°47'W), 18–22 Aug. 2012, I. Literak . Paratypes: 3♀, 4♂ with the same data as holotype ( MMBC—O. Sychra PG 02–05).

Remarks. This is the first record of a chewing louse from Habia rubica in Paraguay. A portion of COI gene was sequenced from our specimens of Myrsidea habiae (GenBank accession number KY 113133 ). Comparing our sequence with other known sequences of Neotropical Myrsidea , the closest was that of M. simplex Ansari, 1956 (A/N FJ 171276 ) with a sequence divergence of 17.7%. Furthermore, comparing our sequence of M. habiae against all known sequences of Myrsidea , the closest was that of Myrsidea sp. ex Seiurus aurocapillus (A/N FJ 171289 ) from the U.S.A., with a pdistance of 16.1%. These sequence divergences are large enough to confirm M. habiae as a separate species.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 5. Myrsidea new species. Figs 1 – 3, male genital sac sclerites: 1, Myrsidea flaveolae n. sp.; 2, Myrsidea habiae n. sp.; 3, Myrsidea sayacae n. sp. Figs 4 – 5, habitus: 4, Myrsidea flaveolae female; 5, Myrsidea flaveolae male.

FIGURES 6 – 9. Myrsidea new species, habitus. Myrsidea habiae n. sp.: 6, female; 7, male. Myrsidea sayacae n. sp.: 8, female; 9, male.