Ponticulothrips mudloi, Mound & Tree, 2022

Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2022, Phlaeothripidae (Thysanoptera) diversity in Australia, with three new generic records and two new species, Zootaxa 5104 (2), pp. 291-296 : 294

Ponticulothrips mudloi sp.n.

( Figs 4–7 )

Male macroptera. Body and legs brown, fore tibiae paler distally, all tarsi yellowish; antennal segment II yellow distally, III yellow with apex faintly shaded, IV light brown in apical third, V–VI brown in apical half, VII–VIII and I–II brown ( Fig. 4 ); fore wings weakly shaded with margins slightly darker but clavus and area around sub-basal setae brown; major setae weakly shaded. Head longer than wide ( Fig. 6 ), genae narrowed to basal neck with several stout setae; vertex with faint transverse sculpture lines; postocular setae long and acute; maxillary stylets retracted to postocular setae and close together medially; maxillary bridge present.Antennal segment III with one sense cone, IV with 3, V and VI each with 2 sense cones; segment VIII small and broad at base. Pronotum with irregular, transverse reticulation but smooth medially; five pairs of well-developed setae, major setae bluntly pointed to weakly capitate; notopleural sutures complete. Mesonotal lateral setae small and blunt; metanotal median setae small and acute; metanotum weakly and variably reticulate. Prosternal basantra absent; ferna large and close together medially; mesopresternum transverse and fully developed; metathoracic sternopleural sutures well developed. Fore tarsus with long pointed tooth at least half as long as tarsal width; fore tibia inner apex with slightly curved and pointed tubercle ( Fig. 5 ). Fore wing sub-basal setae rather short; 24–26 duplicated cilia present. Pelta bell-shaped ( Fig. 7 ), with paired campaniform sensilla, slightly recessed into anterior margin of tergite II; tergites II–VI each with two pairs of sigmoid wing-retaining setae, VII with these setae straight or weak; tergite IX setae S1 long and pointed, setae S2 short and stout; tube with straight sides, anal setae shorter than tube; sternite VIII without pore plate.

Measurements (holotype male in microns). Body length 3500. Head, length 300; width behind eyes 235; po setae 100. Pronotum, length 200; width 370; major setae – am 40, aa 55, ml 55, epim 115, pa 60. Fore wing, length 1350, width 105; sub-basal setae 60, 75, 50. Mesonotal lateral setae 50; metanotal median setae 35. Tergite IX setae 210, 50. Tube length 271. Antennal segments III–VIII length 110, 95, 90, 80, 65, 35.

Female macroptera. Similar in colour and structure to the male, but with setae S2 on tergite IX about two-thirds as long as S1, and the fore tarsal tooth scarcely one-third as long as the width of the tarsus.

Specimens studied. Holotype male, Queensland, Mudlo, 200km northwest of Brisbane , barkspraying on rainforest trees, 21.xii.2011 (G. Monteith), in ANIC.

Paratypes: 2 males, 4 females, taken with holotype (in ANIC and QDPC) .

Comments. The genus Ponticulothrips Haga & Okajima is closely similar to the widespread genus Liothrips , from which it differs in having one or more pairs of stout setae laterally on the head. The genus has been known only from a single species, diospyrosi , collected in southern Japan ( Haga & Okajima 1983). Moreover, Okajima (2006) records this species from Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu, where it is considered a pest on the leaves of persimmon trees, Diospyros kaki . The host plant of this new species remains unknown, being based on eight specimens taken from an unknown tree through the use of insecticide spraying. However, the Australian Ebony, Diospyros humilis , is widespread in eastern Queensland, where other species of this plant genus also grow. Females of the new species described here are remarkably similar to the description of dispyrosi (also images kindly supplied by Masami Masumoto). However, three of the four available males clearly differ in having a stout hook-like tubercle at the inner apex of each fore tibia; this is lacking in the fourth and smallest male that is therefore not listed above as a paratype. In both sexes, the pair of wing-retaining setae on tergite VII are usually absent, reduced or straight.

Figures

FIGURES 1‒12. Australian Phlaeothripinae. Litotetothrips symplocosae sp.n. 1‒3: (1) Head & pronotum; (2) Metanotum & pelta; (3) Antennal segments II‒VIII. Ponticulothrips mudloi sp.n. 4‒7 (male): (4) Antennal segments II‒VIII; (5) Fore tarsus; (6) Head; (7) Pelta. Trichinothrips breviceps 8‒9: (8) Antenna; (9) Head & thorax. Tylothrips osborni 10‒12: (10) Head; (11) Metathoracic ventro-lateral seta; (12) Pronotum.