Psalidothrips verus, Wang & Mound & Tree, 2019

Wang, Jun, Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2019, Leaf-litter thrips of the genus Psalidothrips (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripidae) from Australia, with fifteen new species, Zootaxa 4686 (1), pp. 53-73 : 67

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4686.1.2
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:A3479CF9-E32A-470D-8F26-6A1A64318564
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5943052
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/0394E94C-FF83-5C5C-FF30-FD261AC8FF4F
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Psalidothrips verus
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Psalidothrips verus View in CoL sp.n.

( Figs 15 View FIGURES 10–18 , 36 View FIGURES 19–37 , 39 View FIGURES 38–49 )

Female macroptera. Body strongly bicoloured, head dark brown, pronotum almost yellow, lateral parts of pterothorax and abdomen brown and III–VII with brown area antero-medially; legs yellow; antennal segments I–II brown, III–VIII increasingly brown; fore wing grey. Head without sculpture, genae constricted behind eyes and narrowed to base; compound eyes multifacetted; postocular setae acute, shorter than dorsal eye length; ocelli present, postocellar setae minute; maxillary stylets more than two-thirds of head width apart, retracted about half way to postocular setae ( Fig. 15 View FIGURES 10–18 ). Antennal segments III and IV each with two sense cones, III–VII each with pedicel, VIII narrowed to base; segment III longer than IV, VIII as long as VII ( Fig. 36 View FIGURES 19–37 ). Pronotum without sculpture but with median longitudinal apodeme; setae ml, epim and pa well-developed and acute, aa and am minute. Mesonotum with transverse sculpture lines; metanotum not sculptured medially, median setae small. Mesopresternum complete. Fore tarsal tooth absent. Fore wings each with 2 minute sub-basal setae. Pelta recessed into anterior margin of segment II, with small lobes and pair of campaniform sensilla; tergites II–VII with 2 pairs sigmoid wing-retaining setae but weak on II ( Fig. 39 View FIGURES 38–49 ); tergite VIII major setae weakly capitate; tergite IX setae S1 bluntly pointed, shorter than tube; anal setae slightly longer than tube.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 2074. Head, length 192; width 179; postocular setae 65, distance between their bases 134; postocellar setae 18, distance between their bases 60. Pronotum, length 153; median width 238; major setae am 5, aa 5, ml 41, epim 51, pa 78. Fore wing sub-basal setae, S1 9, S2 14. Tergite III median marginal setae 92; tergite VIII median setae 46, tergite IX setae S1 112, S2 126. Tube length 122; anal setae 123. Antennal segments III–VIII length 60, 53, 53, 54, 46, 44.

Male macroptera. Pronotum with median longitudinal apodeme, fore tarsus with tooth; sternite VIII with large, arched pore plate, extending to lateral margins.

Measurements (in microns). Body length 1618. Head, length 172; width 150; postocular setae 43, postocellar setae 14. Pronotum, length 129; median width 196; major setae am 5, aa 5, ml 41, epim 44, pa 75. Tergite VIII median setae 39, tergite IX setae S1 97, S2 77. Tube length 97; anal setae 111. Antennal segments III–VIII length 58, 44, 46, 43, 37, 36.

Specimens studied. Holotype female macroptera, Queensland, Cape Tribulation , dead Ficus leaves, 9.vii.1995 ( LAM 2746 ), in ANIC.

Paratypes: 6 females, 2 males collected with holotype; Queensland, Daintree N.P ., 1 female from dead palm leaves, 8.x.2012; South Emmagen Creek , 1 female from palm flowers, 8.x.2012.

Non-paratypes: Queensland, Lamington N.P., 1 female, vii.2007; Brisbane Forest Park , 1 female from Eucalyptus litter, 26.iii.2009 ; Mt. Glorious , 1 female aptera in rainforest litter, 2.viii.2008 .

Comments. In general appearance this species resembles brittoni with the dark head and pronotum with a median longitudinal apodeme in both sexes. However, it is particularly unusual in having the mesopresternum complete, and tergites II–VII each with 2 pairs of sigmoid wing-retaining setae. Also, the major body setae are pointed, and antennal segment III has two well-developed sense cones. The female from Lamington listed above is very similar to the type series but has only one sense cone on antennal segment III. The two females from Brisbane Forest Park and Mt. Glorious are also very similar to the types but have the antennal segments more robust and angular.