Myrsidea capeki Kolencik & Sychra & Papousek & Kuabara & Valim & Literak 2018, new species

Myrsidea capeki, new species

(Figs 26, 30–34, 41–42)

Type host. Chiroxiphia caudata (Shaw, 1793) —swallow-tailed manakin.

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

Type material. Ex Chiroxiphia caudata: holotype ♀, San Rafael National Park, Paraguay (26°30'S, 55°47'W), 18–23 August 2012, I. Literak (MMBC). Paratypes: 6♀, 7♂ with the same data as holotype (MMBC).

Diagnosis. Myrsidea capeki n. sp. can be easily distinguished from other Myrsidea from the Pipridae and from other Neotropical species by the shape of female tergites (Fig. 26): (1) tergite I slightly enlarged with widely rounded posterior margin, (2) tergites II–III with convex posterior margin, (3) tergite I with continuous row of long setae reaching beyond the posterior margin of tergite III, and (4) tergites II–VIII with well-defined median gap in each row of tergal setae.

Males of M. capeki have a variable and widespread type of male genital sac sclerite (Figs 30–34), also found in other Myrsidea from members of the Pipridae, and in other Neotropical Myrsidea from the Cardinalidae, Emberizidae and Thraupidae. Comparing genetic sequences between M. capeki and other known sequences of Neotropical Myrsidea (see Remarks below), the closest species was M. pagei Price & Johnson, 2009 from the Thraupidae. However, males of M. capeki differ from those of M. pagei by (1) the number of setae on tergite I (12– 18 in M capeki vs 7–10 in M. pagei), and (2) a shorter total length (1.17–1.25 in M. capeki vs 1.26–1.30 in M. pagei).

Description. Female (n = 7). As in Figs 26 and 41. Hypopharyngeal sclerites fully developed. Length of dhs 10, 0.040–0.045; dhs 11, 0.088–0.105; ratio dhs 10/11, 0.36–0.51; ls5 0.05–0.06 long, latero-ventral fringe with 9– 10 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 3–4 dorso-lateral setae. Metanotum not enlarged, with 6–8 marginal setae metasternal plate with 5–8 setae; metapleurites with 2–4 short strong spiniform setae. Femur III with 12–16 setae in ventral setal brush. Tergite I slightly enlarged with widely rounded posterior margin and continuous row of long setae reaching beyond the posterior margin of tergite III. Tergites II–III with convex posterior margin. Tergites II–VIII with well-defined median gap in each row of tergal setae (Fig. 26). Tergal setae: I, 19–22; II, 13–15; III, 12–17; IV, 13–16; V, 1 2–16; VI, 11–17; VII, 9–13; VIII, 8–11; Postspiracular setae very long on II, IV and VIII (0.39–0.45); long on I and VII (0.25–0.30); and short on III, V and VI (0.14–0.21). Inner posterior seta of last tergum longer than anal fringe setae with length 0.07–0.14; length of short lateral marginal seta of last segment, 0.03–0.06. Pleural setae: I–II, 6–8; III, 7–9; IV, 6–8; V, 5–7; VI, 5–6; VII, 4–6; VIII, 3–4. Pleurites V–VII with 0–3 slender and longer setae. Pleurite VIII with inner setae (0.05–0.13) as long as outer (0.05–0.09). Anterior margin of sternal plate II with a medial notch. Sternites V–VI narrow and arched. Sternal setae: I, 0; II, 5–6 (in one specimen one aster with 4) in each aster: s1, 0.06–0.08; s2, 0.06–0.07; s3, 0.05–0.08; s4, 0.03–0.06; s5, 0.03–0.05; s6, 0.03; with 12–16 marginal setae between asters, 4–6 medioanterior; III, 21–24; IV, 25–29; V, 28–34; VI, 28–31; VII, 15–20; VIII–IX, 10–12; and 8–12 setae on slightly serrated vulvar margin. Anal fringe formed by 29–39 dorsal and 29–32 ventral setae. Dimensions: TW, 0.44–0.46; POW, 0.34–0.37; HL, 0.28– 0.30; PW, 0.27–0.29; MW, 0.42–0.44; AWIV, 0.55–0.60; ANW, 0.20–0.22; TL, 1.33–1.40.

Male (n = 7). As in Fig. 42. Similar to female except as follows: length of dhs 10, 0.037–0.045; dhs 11, 0.078– 0.100; ratio dhs 10/11, 0.37–0.52; ls5 0.04–0.06 long, latero-ventral fringe with 9–10 setae. Gula with 4–6 setae on each side. First tibia with 3 outer ventro-lateral and 3–5 dorso-lateral setae. Metanotum not enlarged with 4–8 marginal setae; metasternal plate with 6–8 setae; metapleurites with 2–3 short spiniform strong setae. Femur III with 10–13 setae in ventral setal brush. Abdominal segments with well-defined median gap in each row of tergal setae. Tergal setae: I, 12–18; II, 10–13; III, 12–14; IV, 11–14; V, 11–13; VI, 10–13; VII, 9–12; VIII, 6–10; Postspiracular setae same with the same pattern as in female but shorter. Length of inner posterior seta of last tergum, 0.06–0.11; short lateral marginal seta of last segment, 0.02. Pleural setae: I–III, 5–7; IV, 6–7; V, 5–6; VI, 4– 6; VII, 4–5; VIII, 3. Pleurites IV–VII with 1–3 slender and longer setae. Pleurite VIII with inner setae (0.08–0.10) almost three times as long as outer (0.03–0.04). Anterior margin of sternal plate II without a medial notch. Sternal setae: I, 0; II, 4–5 in each aster: s1, 0.06–0.08; s2, 0.05–0.07; s3–s4, 0.05–0.06; s5, 0.03–0.04; with 13–16 marginal setae between asters, 4–6 medioanterior; III, 18–23; IV, 21–24; V, 23–30; VI, 23–28; VII, 14–19; VIII, 4–8; remainder of plate, 5–8; and with 3 setae posteriorly; with 8 internal anal setae. Genital sac sclerite as in Figs 30– 34. Dimensions: TW, 0.41–0.44; POW, 0.32–0.33; HL, 0.27–0.29; PW, 0.25–0.27; MW, 0.36–0.41; AWIV, 0.46– 0.48; GW, 0.11; GSL, 0.08–0.09; TL, 1.17–1.25.

Etymology. This species is named in honour of our colleague and friend Miroslav Čapek (Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic), a respected Czech ornithologist who participated in many of our fieldtrips, in recognition of his friendship and unmatched enthusiasm in the study of birds.

Remarks. This is the first record of chewing lice from Chiroxiphia caudata. A portion of COI gene was sequenced from specimens of M. capeki from Paraguay (GenBank MF563532). Comparing our sequence with other known sequences of Neotropical Myrsidea, the divergences exceeded 18% in all cases. The closest was that of M. pagei (ex Ramphocelus dimidiatus Lafresnaye, 1837, family Thraupidae, GenBank FJ 171287), with a pdistance of 18.2%. These sequence divergences are large enough to confirm M. capeki as a new, separate species.