Holothrips speciosissimus (Karny)

Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2014, Fungus-feeding phlaeothripine Thysanoptera in the genus Holothrips from Australia and New Caledonia, with a structurally similar new genus, Holoengythrips, Zootaxa 3860 (2), pp. 125-148 : 133

Holothrips speciosissimus (Karny)

( Figs 11 , 30, 33 )

Nesothrips speciosissimus Karny, 1920: 42 .

Adelothrips speciosissimus (Karny) Mound, 1974: 16

Holothrips speciosissimus (Karny) Mound & Palmer, 1983: 95

This species was based on a single male collected in Queensland at “Cedar Creek”, a locality that is presumed to be at Mt Tamborine, just south of Brisbane. This specimen is mounted ventral side uppermost, and the labromaxillary complex clearly projects posteriorly well beyond the curve of the labium. Weakly reticulate areas are visible on sternite VI, but on tergite IX the S1 seta is missing on the left side, and on the right side the S1 seta is broken. Only a few specimens have been found that share the elongate condition of the mouth cone ( Fig. 30 ). All of these are from rainforest areas of northern Queensland, and associated males have distinct reticulation on sternites VI and VII. As discussed above, the distinction of oceanicus from speciosissimus remains unclear. The variation in the apparent length of the mouth cone requires further study, as this possibly does not provide such a secure distinction between groups of species as has previously been considered.

Material studied. Holotype male, Queensland, Cedar Creek, [Mt Tamborine?] (Mjöberg 7), in Swedish Museum of Natural History , Stockholm.

Further material. Queensland: Mission Beach, Clump Point , 2 females from dead branches, 21.vii.1968 (in BMNH) ; Cairns, Crystal Creek , 2 males from dead wood, 4.x.2012 ; Cairns, Smithfield Conservation Park , 1 female from bark spraying tree buttress, 19.ix.2013 ; Cape Tribulation , 1 male, 7.vii.1995 , 1 male, 18.x.2012 ; Mt Malloy , 1 female from dead twigs, 5.vii.1995 .

Figures

FIGURES 10–16. Holothrips from Australia. Pterothorax and tergites I–II 10–12: (10) frerei sp.n.; (11) speciosissimus; (12) oceanicus. (13) lafoae sp.n., tergites I–II. Tergite IX and tube 14–16: (14) circulus sp.n.; (15) federicae sp.n.; (16) notialis sp.n.

FIGURES 25–33. Holothrips from Australia. Antenna 25–28: (25) bunyai sp.n.; (26) frerei sp.n.; (27) lafoae sp.n.; (28) lamingtoni sp.n. Mouth cone and thoracic sternites 29–30: (29) oceanicus; (30) speciosissimus. Male sternite VII 31–33: (31) australis; (32) lafoae sp.n.; (33) speciosissimus.