Myrsidea Waterston

Genus Myrsidea Waterston Myrsidea Waterston 1915: 12. Type species: Myrsidea victrix Waterston by original designation. A brief characterization of this genus as it pertains to the features shared in common by the Malagasy warbler lice in this study is as follows. Head as in Fig. 1; evenly rounded anteriorly; no lateral notch or slit; inner occipital setae much longer than minute outer setae; no ventral sclerotized processes; gula with heavier longer posterior seta on each side; hypopharyngeal sclerites strongly developed. Thorax (Fig. 1) with pronotum having 6 long posterior setae; no central setae; and 3 short setae at each lateral angle. Mesonotum with 2 minute medioanterior setae adjacent to postnotum and 2 at posterior margin. Metanotum without central setae; with 6 short lateral and anterior setae, and very long (0.25���0.30) posterior corner seta. Prosternal plate well developed, elongate, with 2 short anterior setae; metasternal plate large, diamond shaped, with 4 setae; venter of femur III with setal brush. Abdomen (Figs. 1, 4, 6���7) with undivided tergites; no anterior setae except very small corner seta on each side of tergite I; postspiracular setae extremely long on tergites II, IV, and VIII (tergal setal counts include postspiracular setae and all setae between them); sternite I small, without setae; sternite II enlarged, with aster of heavy setae at each lateroposterior corner. Pleurites without anterior setae. Male subgenital plate of fused sternites VIII���IX; setae given for VIII represent those anteriorly located in region of segment VIII; genitalia of characteristic shape (Fig. 3), with spinous sac having associated sclerites (Figs. 2, 5). Female anus oval, without inner setae; subgenital plate of fused sternites VII���IX, with serrated posterior margin; setae given for VII represent those anteriorly located in region of segment VII and those for VIII���IX are on the remainder of the plate. For brevity, these characters are not repeated in discussing each species.
Published as part of Price, Roger D. & Johnson, Kevin P., 2006, Four new species of Myrsidea Waterston chewing lice (Phthiraptera: Menoponidae) from the Malagasy warblers (Passeriformes), pp. 47-55 in Zootaxa 1297 on page 48, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.173561
{"references":["Waterston, J. (1915) On two new species of Mallophaga (Menoponidae): Menacanthus balfouri n. sp. and Myrsidea victrix n. sp. from Colombia. Entomologist's Monthly Magazine, 51, 12 - 16."]}