Ptycta colei, Schmidt & New, 2008

Schmidt, Evan R. & New, Timothy R., 2008, The Psocoptera (Insecta) of Tasmania, Australia, Memoirs of Museum Victoria 65, pp. 71-152 : 137-139

Ptycta colei sp. nov.

Figures 206–13

Ptycta hollowayae Smithers. Cole et al., 1989: 34 .

Material examined. Holotype: Tasmania, UV light trap, open forest remnant, University of Tasmania, Hobart , 13 May 1986 . Paratype: same data as holotype; paratype: Bedfordia salicina , montane grassy forest, Tunbridge-Steppes Road, 29 May 1986. Additional records: site 45, 1, 1 nymph, 5 June 87; site 127A, 1, 24 Mar 87; 1, 22 Feb 88; site 131E, 1, 2 nymphs, 24 Feb 88; site 159B, 1, 18 Jan 87; site 214A, 1, 2 Mar 87; 1, 17 Mar 87 .

Description of male. Coloration (after ca 4.5 years in alcohol). Ground colour of head buff, with the following dark brown: markings along back of vertex, dorsal to eyes and along median epicranial suture; band along epicranial arm from ring surrounding antenna base to narrow band adjacent to lateral ocelli; stirrup mark centrally on frons; parallel striae on postclypeus; antenna; two apical segments of maxillary palp. Posterior third of anteclypeus and labrum brown. Eyes black. Ocelli pale, with black internal borders. Thorax dark brown, with paler sutural areas. Legs buff except coxa, apices of femur and tibia, tarsal segments dark brown. Fore wing (fig. 206). Hind wing (fig. 207) hyaline. Abdomen grey-brown dorsally, pale ventrally, terminal segments dark brown.

Morphology. IO:D = 1.2. Eyes large, offstanding, reaching well beyond vertex when viewed from side of head. Median epicranial suture distinct, ocelli on raised tubercle. Antennae long, finely setose, sensory placoids: 2 at base f 1, 1 apices f 2, f 4 and f 10. Apex of terminal segment bluntly pointed. Fore wing (fig. 206): few fine setae on costa in region of pterostigma; veins sparsely setose, except cu 2; short fine setae on basal veins as follows: posterior margin of r, scattered on vein and margin of m+cu, on both posterior and anterior margins of an. Both sections of vein cu 1a at slight angle, approximately equal in length. Pterostigma lacking spur-vein, veins rs and m joined by a short cross-vein. Hind wing (fig. 207) glabrous, except for few short fine setae on margin between veins r 2+3 and r 4+5. Epiproct (fig. 208, anterior margin facing posterior direction) margin well sclerotised, anterior margin bilobed, spiculate. Paraproct (fig. 208) with large terminal spine, round field of 38 trichobothria. Hypandrium (fig. 209) with strap-like tongue, bearing row of bluntly pointed teeth along margin, these becoming smaller, with more rounded apex towards distal end of tongue; apex of tongue asymmetrically curled. Phallosome (fig. 210) frame closed, with short central lateral projections and slender elongate apex.

Dimensions. B 3.8, FW 5.10, HW 3.86, F 0.99, T 2.15, t

1

0.576, t

2

0.197, rt 2.9:1, ct 27,4, f

1

1.181, f

2

0.941.

Description of female. Coloration (after ca 4.5 years in alcohol). As male, except dark brown band along epicranial arm and ring surrounding base of antenna not as distinct. Fore wing (fig. 211).

Morphology. IO:D = 1.8. Eyes offstanding. Antennae finely pubescent, sensory placoids: 4 at base f 1, 1 at apices f 4, f 6 and f 10. Fore (fig. 211) and hind wings as male. Epiproct setose in apical half, lateral margins sclerotised. Paraproct with round field of 38 trichobothria. Subgenital plate (fig. 212) with small field of preapical setae on lobe, and longer setae on body of plate. Gonapophyses and spermathecal plate (fig. 213).

Dimensions. B 4.0, FW 5.16, HW 3.98, F 1.03, T 2.33, t

1

0.624, t

2

0.229, rt 2.7:1, ct 28,4, f

1

1.286, f

2

0.941.

Distribution. Tasmania and Bass Strait Is.

Remarks. This species is most similar to P. hollowayae Smithers. Females differ in details of fore wing pigmentation: a triangular pigmented area bound by veins r and rs of P. hollowayae is absent in P. colei ; the basal third of cell An is lightly pigmented in P. colei which appears absent in P. hollowayae . The pterostigma of the fore wing of males of P. hollowayae is uniformly pigmented. In contrast only about the apical half is pigmented in P. colei . Ptycta colei also lacks the darker clouds in the basal half of cell R 1 and apices of cells R 1 and R 3 which are present in the males of P. hollowayae ( Smithers, 1984; fig. 70). The sclerotised process basad of the trichobothrial field of the male paraproct ( Smithers, 1984; fig. 72) of P. hollowayae is not distinct in P. colei , and the basal margin of the anterior lobe of the epiproct is much more bilobed in P. colei than that shown for P. hollowayae ( Smithers, 1984; fig. 71). Ptycta colei is a larger species, fore wing lengths vary from 4.6–5.1 mm (), 5.1–5.4 mm (). In both sexes the junction of veins rs and m in the fore wing varies from a short cross-vein to a short fusion.

Etymology. Named for Peter Cole, whose studies of the Bass Strait Psocoptera form a foundation for knowledge of this genus in the region.

Figures

Figures 206-213. Ptycta colei. Male: 206, fore wing; 207, hind wing; 208, epiproct and paraproct; 209, hypandrium; 210, phallosome. Figures 206, 207 and 208-210 to common scales. Female: 211, fore wing; 212, subgenital plate; 213, gonapophyses and spermathecal plate. Figures 212 and 213 to common scale.