Abelopsocus truganiniae, Schmidt & New, 2008

Schmidt, Evan R. & New, Timothy R., 2008, The Psocoptera (Insecta) of Tasmania, Australia, Memoirs of Museum Victoria 65, pp. 71-152 : 127-130

Abelopsocus truganiniae sp. nov.

Figures 185–94

Latrobiella sp. B . Coy et al., 1993: 77.

Material examined. Holotype: Tasmania, Mt Field National Park , dead rainforest foliage, 3 Apr 1987 . Paratype: dead rainforest foliage, 3 Mar 1988. Additional records: Site 10, 2, 21 Nov 86; site 18, 1, 18 Nov 86; site 175, 1, 26 Apr 87; site 209, 1, 17 Apr 87; 1, 20 May 87; site 281, 1, 25 Nov 86; 1, 22 May 87; site 360, 2, 4 nymphs, 24 Mar 88; Big Sassy Ck, Site 1, PKD Sassafras, 2, 9 nymphs, 12 May 89 (J. Diggle); Big Sassy Ck, Site 2, PKD Sassafras, 2, 12 nymphs, 12 May 89 (P. Greenslade).

Description of female. Coloration (after ca 6 years in alcohol). Ground colour buff, with the following dark brown: round patch on each side of vertex, surrounded by markings (some confluent) dorsal to eyes, across back of vertex and along each side of median epicranial suture; squarish patch centrally on frons extending from median ocellus to epistomal suture; postclypeal striae converging towards midline; markings adjacent to posterior margin of gena; basal half of anteclypeus; labrum; apical segment of maxillary palp; antenna. Greyish-brown markings as follows: short band extending from eye to anterior margin of antennal socket; band extending from lateral ocellus along lateral epicranial arm, not reaching preceding band; patch on each side of frons between mid-line and antennal socket. Ocelli pale, with blackish centripetal margins. Eyes black. Fore wing with brown pigmented areas (fig. 185). Hind wing (fig. 186) hyaline, with pale brown band around posterior margin, cell cu 2 brown. Thorax dark brown, sutural areas buff. Legs with coxae dark brown, femora and tibia buff, tarsi brown. Abdomen buff, with extensive greyish-brown annulations. Terminal segments dark brown.

Morphology. IO:D = 3.0. Distal margin of labrum bearing 11 sensilla, each lateral sensillum posterior to remaining sensilla, anterior margin of outer surface with distinct row of 4 sensilla. Epistomal suture present; clypeal shelf absent, however narrow remnant appears present on lateral margins of epistomal suture. Lacinia with large apical lateral projection. Head with reticulate pattern, surface slightly granulated. Patch centrally on frons anterior to median ocellus with large polygonal-shaped cells, not granulated, and in cross-section the apically round margins protrude beyond the surface. Vertex and frons bearing scattered thick large setae, these associated with smaller fine setae on postclypeus.Gena with small region of small fine setae.Antennae with very slender flagellar segments bearing small sparse setae, these becoming longer in apical segments. Ten flagellar segments present, f 10 and f 11 fused. Placoid sensilla distributed as follows: 2 base f 1, 1 apex f 4. Trichoid sensillum near apex of f 6 and near centre of f 10, each bearing a long slender filament. Terminal segment narrowing apically, not attenuated, bearing long apical seta. Fore wing (fig. 185): basal veins bearing 2 ranks of long thick setae, staggered in arrangement; vein cu 2 glabrous; medial and radial veins, and vein cu 1b bearing a single rank of long thick setae, and a second rank of short fine setae. Two setae on membrane basally in cell R 5, 3 setae basally in cell M 3. Pterostigma granular, strongly setose. Setae on hind wing (fig. 186) veins: r 1 2 (small), rs 0, r 2+3 0, r 4+5 16, m 11, cu 1 0; those on r 4+5 and m in 2 ranks. Both wings densely covered by microtrichia. Claw with subapical tooth, pulvillus fine with expanded tip.Rasp and mirror of Pearman´s organ well developed. Epiproct setose in apical half. Paraproct (fig. 187) with round field of 24 trichobothria. Subgenital plate (fig. 188) apical sclerite bearing 11 small setae on distal margin, anteriorly diverging pigmented arms well developed. Gonapophyses (fig. 189): ventral valve long, slender, apically with recurrent spinelets; dorsal valve with sclerotised basal bar, rudimentary spine on distal margin apically rounded,bearingrecurrentspinelets;externalvalvesubtriangular, rounded posteriorly, setose.

Dimensions. B 2.8, FW 4.19, HW 2.95, F 0.65, T 1.27, t

1

0.395, t

2

0.079, t

3

0.103, rt 5:1:1.3, ct 17,0,0, f

1

0.466, f

2

0.419.

Description of male. Coloration. (after ca five years in alcohol). As female. Fore wing (fig. 190), hind wing (fig. 191) hyaline except for slight apical shading and darkened anal field.

Morphology. IO: D = 2.5. Eyes below level of vertex when looking at side of head. Antenna flagellar segments thicker, and flagellar setae much longer than those in female. Segments f 10 and f 11 fused as in female. Distribution of sensilla as in female except base of f 1 bearing 1 placoid. Terminal segment not attenuated, apex lacking large seta. Fore wing (fig. 190) as in female, except setae on membrane basally in cell M 3 absent. Setae on hind wing (fig. 191) veins: r 1 3, rs 0, r 2+3 0, r 4+5 21, m 16, cu 1 0; those on r 4+5 and m in 2 ranks. Epiproct (fig. 192) with pair of lobes, each bearing 4/5 long setae and 1 small seta. Paraproct (fig. 192) with round field of 33 trichobothria and 2 setae not in rosettes. Hypandrium (fig. 193) basally incised, apically emarginate with a pair of bluntly pointed curved hooks. Phallosome (fig. 194): frame anteriorly transverse; endophallus consisting of median and lateral pairs of membranous lobes.

Dimensions. B 2.7, FW 4.01, HW 2.98, F 0.63, T 1.32, t 1 0.442, t

2

0.087, t

3

0.103, rt 5.1:1:1.2, ct 18,0,0, f

1

0.750, f

2

0.608.

Remarks. A. truganiniae can be distinguished from A. fenestratus by the fore wing setae not being sited on dark spots, and in the form of the male epiproct; from A. pardus in the form of the subgenital plate, male epiproct and hypandrium; from A. basipunctatus in the fore wing pigmentation, and in the form of the male epiproct and hypandrium. A. truganiniae is essentially a rainforest species that was taken in November and in the autumn months.

Etymology. Named for Truganini, considered to be the last surviving full-blood indigenous person from Tasmania.

Figures

Figures 185-194. Abelopsocus truganiniae. Female: 185, fore wing; 186, hind wing; 187, paraproct; 188, subgenital plate; 189, gonapophyses. Figures 185, 186 and 187-189 to common scales. Male: 190, fore wing; 191, hind wing; 192, epiproct and paraproct; 193, hypandrium; 194, phallosome. Figures 190, 191 and 192-194 to common scales.