Propsocus frodshami, Schmidt & New, 2008

Schmidt, Evan R. & New, Timothy R., 2008, The Psocoptera (Insecta) of Tasmania, Australia, Memoirs of Museum Victoria 65, pp. 71-152 : 132-134

Propsocus frodshami sp. nov.

Figures 195–99

Material examined. Holotype: Tasmania, Central Plateau,near Projection Bluff, 1200 m, 41 ° 44’S 146 ° 42’E, Suction, 27 April 1988 (L. Hill). Additional record: 1, Mt William National Park , sedge, 11 July 1986.

Description of male. Coloration (after ca 5 years in alcohol). Vertex brown, with dark brown elongated spots on each side of median epicranial suture, along back of vertex and dorsal to eyes, these fusing into band extending anteriorly around eye and merging with dark brown gena. Ocelli pale, brown ocellar region with narrow dark brown surround. Narrow band along lateral epicranial suture dark brown. Frons brown, with dark brown median stirrup mark. Epistomal suture dark brown. Postclypeal striae dark brown, merging at midline, striae originating short distance anteriorly of epistomal suture, leaving narrow brown posterior postclypeal margin. Anteclypeus pale. Labrum dark brown. Maxillary palpi brown. Scape, pedicel and basal flagellar segment of antenna pale brown, remaining segments brown. Eyes black. Fore wing (fig. 195) brown, basal veins hyaline over most of their length. Hind wing (fig. 196) with brown tinge. Prothorax pale, meso- and meta-thorax dark brown. Legs: procoxa pale, meso- and metacoxa dark brown; femora, tibiae and basal tarsus pale, mid and apical tarsal segments brown. Abdomen pale brown, terminal segments brown.

Morphology. IO:D = 3.0. Distal margin of labrum bearing 11 sensilla, anterior margin of outer surface with distinct row of 4 sensilla. Lacinia usual for genus, outer tine larger than median. Epistomal suture present, clypeal shelf broad. Head and thorax glossy. Frons tall. Majority of setae clothing head lost in preparation. Sockets on vertex and frons fairly sparse, those of postclypeus smaller and slightly denser. Setae on gena short and fine. Surface of head finely granular. Stirrup-mark on frons consisting of large polygonal cells, not granulated. Apex of terminal segment incipiently mucronate. Distribution of placoid sensilla: 2 base f

1

, 1 apices f

4

, f

6

and f

10

; those of f

6

and f

10

each bearing a short slender filament. Brachypterous. Fore wing (fig. 195): veins bearing single rank of setae; vein cu 2 setose; setae of single rank on inner margin of costa around apical margin. Hind wing (fig. 196) rudimentary, lacking setae. Marginal scales of wings of low relief, bluntly pointed at distal ends. Tarsi 3-segmented, claw with incipient subapical tooth, pulvillus broad. Rasp and mirror of Pearman´s organ well developed. Epiproct (fig. 197) semicircular, setose. Paraproct (fig. 197) with field of 8/9 trichobothria. Hypandrium (fig. 198) lateral lobes apically medially directed, apices bearing very short setae. Phallosome (fig. 199): frame broad; sclerotised arms of aedeagal arch short, bearing small tubercles; endophallus similar to that of Pentacladus eucalypti Enderlein.

Dimensions. B 2.2, FW 0.96, HW 0.24, F 0.66, T 1.09, t 1 0.332, t

2

0.079, t

3

0.095, rt 4.2:1:1.2, ct 7,0,0, f

1

0.569, f

2

0.521.

Female. Unknown.

Remarks. In possessing a bilobed hypandrium and a phallosome apex bearing small tubercles this species resembles P. pulchripennis . The apex of the aedeagal arch of P.pulchripennis is mucronate with small tubercles, differing from that of P. frodshami , which has a small transverse apex with small tubercles extending anteriorly along the arms of the inner parameres. The form of the endophallus also differs between the two species. P. frodshami is larger than P. pulchripennis .

Etymology. Named for Thomas Frodsham, an early surveyor and explorer in Tasmania.

Figures

Figures 195-199. Propsocus frodshami. Male: 195, fore wing; 196, hind wing; 197, epiproct and paraproct; 198, hypandrium; 199, phallosome. Figures 195, 196 and 197-199 to common scales.