Lenkothrips moundi, Lima & Zamar & Greco & Rocca, 2024

Lima, Élison Fabrício B., Zamar, María I., Greco, Nancy & Rocca, Margarita, 2024, The Neotropical genus Lenkothrips (Thysanoptera: Heterothripidae): additions to the faunas of Argentina and Brazil with an updated key to species, Zootaxa 5489 (1), pp. 184-191 : 186-189

Lenkothrips moundi sp. n.

( Figs 6–13 )

Female macroptera. Body dark brown ( Fig. 6 ), except the inner side of the fore femur, fore tibiae and all tarsi yellowish, and mid and hind tibiae with the base and distal portion yellow; antennal segments I and II dark brown, III yellow, IV yellow with brown apex, V yellow with brown apical half, VI–IX brown ( Fig. 7 ); fore wing brown with a light sub-basal area and brown setae. Head about 1.3 times wider than long; with no long setae, ocellar setae minute, pair III within ocellar triangle; ocellar area weakly reticulated ( Fig. 8 ). Antennal segment III longer than segment IV; sensorium of IV extending laterally to the midpoint of the segment ( Fig. 7 ). Pronotum with transverse anastomosing lines of sculpture; about 30–37 discal setae and 4–5 pairs of short posteromarginal setae ( Fig. 9 ). Mesonotum striate, distance between striations 4–5 microns, farther apart than the width of a discal setal pore ( Fig. 10 ). Fore wing clavus with 8 marginal setae and 1 discal seta. Abdominal tergites I–VIII with a posteromarginal fringe of microtrichia, well developed laterally in I–V, but without teeth medially, on VI–VIII complete ( Fig. 12 ); lateral thirds with loose reticulations, whose lines bear few fine microtrichia, evident only on the striae close to the anterior margin ( Fig. 11 ); tergite IX with microtrichia in the distal half. Sternites with faint transverse striae medially, somewhat anastomosed; lateral thirds with oblique striae with lines of fine microtrichia; number of posteromarginal setae varying from sternite II to VII, with 6, 9–10, 10, 15, 15 and 13, respectively, arising in front of the posterior margin; VII with 4–5 setae in the discal area in addition to the marginals ( Fig. 13 ). Pleurotergites striated and with microtrichia.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body, length 1147. Head, length 93; width 124. Pronotum, length 992; width 161. Hind tibia length 155; width 31; hind tarsus length 37; width 15. Fore wing length 774. Antennal segments I–IX length, 14, 28, 56, 35, 28, 28, 17, 14, 13 respectively; VII width 7.

Male. Unknown

Material examined. Holotype female. Argentina: La Plata, Hudson (34°48’08.9”S 58°07’42.7”W), 11.i.2023 (N Greco & M Rocca col.) ( MLP) . Paratype. Same location, 1 female, 31.i.2023 (N Greco & M Rocca col.) (INBIAL-UNJu).

Measurements (paratype female in microns). Body, length 1600. Head, length 93; width 155. Pronotum, length 130; width 217. Hind tibia length 155; width 34; hind tarsus length 53; width 15. Fore wing length 774. Antennal segments I–IX length, 14, 28, 56, 35, 28, 28, 17, 14, 13 respectively; VII width 7.

Comments. This species shares with both guaranitucus and kaminskii the fore wings with a clear sub-basal area and the presence of numerous discal setae on pronotum. However, moundi has 30–37 setae, whereas in the other two species the number is approximately 30 and 25, respectively. In addition, the new species is easily distinguished by the yellow colour of the median antennal segments, especially segment III, in contrast with the colouration mostly brown guaraniticus and kaminskii . Finally, moundi has antennal segment IV shorter and the lateral thirds of the abdominal tergites have faint sculpturing, whose striae exhibit few and poorly developed microtrichia, evident only on striae close to the anterior margin. Lenkothrips kaminskii seems to be the closest species to moundi based on the body structure, especially colouration, pronotal sculpture and number of discal setae, but the differences mentioned in the key above regarding the antennal structure and tergites microtrichia allow their distinction. This species has been collected on flowers of Solanum sisymbriifolium ( Fig. 14 ). It is dedicated to Dr Laurence Alfred Mound for his invaluable contribution to the knowledge of the Thysanoptera fauna in the Neotropical region.

Figures

FIGURES 6–14. Lenkothrips moundi sp. n. (6) female; (7) antenna; (8) head; (9) pronotum; (10) meso- and metanotum; (11) abdominal tergite IV; (12) abdominal tergite VII; (13) sternite VII; (14) associated plant, Solanum sisymbriifolium.