Holothrips eurytis, Mound & Tree, 2014

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 : 128-129

Holothrips eurytis sp.n.

( Figs 3 , 18 )

Female macroptera. Body legs and antennae brown, except basal third of antennal segment III yellow; fore wings uniformly weakly shaded; major setae all pale. Head with cheeks strongly convex behind eyes then concave before widening to posterior margin; interantennal process exceptionally wide ( Fig. 3 ); dorsal surface reticulate posterolaterally, with almost no sculpture medially; postocular setae long and weakly capitate; maxillary stylets retracted to eyes, close together medially, with wide loop at level of prothorax. Antennae 8-segmented, VIII broadly joined to VII, III with 3 sensoria, IV with 4. Pronotum transverse, reticulate on anterior and posterior thirds, with 5 pairs of weakly capitate major setae, notopleural sutures complete; fore tarsal tooth about half as long as tarsal width. Prosternal ferna not meeting medially; mesopresternum transverse, fused laterally to mesoeusternum and projecting medially into mesoeusternal anterior margin ( Fig. 18 ); metathoracic sternopleural suture short. Mesonotal setae small. Metanotum without sculpture medially, median setae arise on posterior half, anterior third with at least one pair of minor setae. Fore wing uniformly broad, 16–20 duplicated cilia; sub-basal setae small and capitate, arising in a triangle. Pelta reticulate; tergites II–VI with one pair of weakly curved wingretaining setae and transverse row of 6–10 discal setae, major setae capitate; tergite IX setae long and finely acute; tube much shorter than head.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 4050. Head, length 500; width behind eyes 400; postocular setae 100. Pronotum, length 280; width 550; major setae: am 70, aa 60, ml 75, epim 90, pa 110. Fore wing length 1500; sub-basal setae 60, 70, 60. Tergite IX setae: S1 250, iS 75, 280. Tube length 250. Antennal segments III–VIII length 110, 110, 100, 90, 55, 35.

Female microptera. Similar to macroptera but metanotum reticulate and wing-retaining setae straight or absent.

Male microptera. Similar to female except, fore tarsal tooth slightly more robust; mesopresternum divided into three sections, mesoeusternal anterior margin weakly concave but not eroded; metanotum reticulate, with 2 pairs of minor setae on anterior third; sternites V–VIII with variable areas of reticulate sculpture.

Measurements (paratype male in microns). Body length 3100. Head, length 450; width behind eyes 380; postocular setae 85. Pronotum, length 300; width 430. Fore wing lobe 180. Tergite IX setae: S1 170, iS 55, S2 75. Tube length 210.

Material studied. Holotype female macroptera, Queensland, Brisbane, Mt Coot-tha , from Eucalyptus dead branches, 14.x.2006 ( LAM 4966 ).

Paratypes, mostly beaten from Eucalyptus branches: 4 female macropterae, 2 female micropterae, 2 male micropterae, taken with holotype; same locality, 1 female microptera, 29.x.2007 , 1 female macroptera, 1.xi.2007; Brisbane, Gap Creek Reserve , 1 female microptera, 17.i.2006 ; Girraween , 1 female macroptera and 1 female microptera, 29.xii.2011 ; Mt Gammy , 1 female macroptera, 15.ix.2009 . New South Wales, Werrikimbe , 1 female macroptera, 7.xii.1997 . Australian Capital Territory, Black Mt. , 1 female, 1 male micropterae, 18.iv.2009 , 1 female macroptera and 1 female microptera, 26.ii.2011; Weston , 1 male macroptera, 1.x.2006 ; Mulligan’s Flat , 2 female macropterae and 1 female microptera, 6.xii.2003 .

Comments. The interantennal projection is much broader in this species than in australis , but in males the mesoeusternal anterior margin is only concave not eroded medially.

Figures

FIGURES 1–9. Holothrips from Australia. Heads: (1) australis; (2) bunyai sp.n.; (3) eurytis sp.n.; (4) federicae sp.n.; (5) circulus sp.n.; (6) frerei sp.n. (7) lamingtoni sp.n.; (8) notialis sp.n.; (9) lafoae sp.n.

FIGURES 17–24. Holothrips from Australia. Thoracic sternites 17–18: (17) australis; (18) eurytis sp.n. Pterothorax and tergites I–II 19–22: (19) australis; (20) federicae sp.n.; (21) circulus sp.n.; (22) bunyai sp.n. (23–24) notialis sp.n. pelta variation.