Peripsocus pamae, Schmidt & New, 2008

Schmidt, Evan R. & New, Timothy R., 2008, The Psocoptera (Insecta) of Tasmania, Australia, Memoirs of Museum Victoria 65, pp. 71-152 : 120-122

Peripsocus pamae sp. nov.

Figures 164–74

Material examined. Holotype micropterous: Tasmania, Banksia scrub, Southwest National Park, Port Davey Tk at Crossing River , 10 Feb 1988. Four nymphs, 4 and 4 paratypes: same data as holotype. Additional records: many individuals collected throughout the year.

Description of micropterous female. Coloration (after ca 5 years in alcohol). Ground colour of head buff, with the following dark brown: confluent markings across back of vertex, dorsal to eyes and on each side of median epicranial suture; postclypeal striae converging towards pale midline; 2 bands between eye and antennal socket, lower band extending below eye towards back of head; basal third of anteclypeus; labrum; 2 apical segments of maxillary palp; ocellar tubercle, anteriorly a squarish patch flanked by postclypeal striae. A light brown patch extending to markings dorsal to eyes lateral to each lateral ocellus. Ocelli pale. Antenna light brown. Eyes black. Fore wing (fig. 164) with slight brown markings. Hind wing (fig. 165) hyaline. Thoracic pleura dark brown, dorsum pale brown. Legs: coxae dark brown; trochanters pale, femora dark brown in basal two-thirds, apical third pale; tibiae pale; tarsi dark brown. Abdomen cream, with grey-brown annulations. Terminal segments dark brown.

Morphology. IO:D = 4.8. Distal margin of labrum with 5 sensilla, bases very thickened. Distinct row of 4 trichoid sensilla on anterior margin of outer surface of labrum.Suture surrounding ocellar tubercle an extension of median epicranial suture.

Vertex-postclypeal suture fusing to anterolateral margins of ocellar tubercle, frons sclerite absent. Clypeal shelf absent. Lacinia apically very narrow, apex bifid. Head with very obvious reticulate granular pattern where dark brown markings occur on vertex and postclypeus. Squarish patch anterior to median ocellus filled with reticulate polygonal cells, not granulated. Head bearing small scattered setae. Antenna very short (length 0.86 mm), flagellar segments bearing setae of differing lengths. Placoid sensilla distributed as follows: 2 base f 1, 1 apices f 4, f 6 and f 10, those of f 6 and f 10 bearing a long slender filament. Terminal segment with bluntly pointed apex. Venation of fore wing (fig. 164) and hind wing (fig. 165) absent. Setae small and sparse along apical margin of fore wing. Membranes of both wings densely covered by small apically pointed scales, these being less prominent apical to invaginations on the posterior and anterior margins. Surface of thoracic pleura with reticulate granular pattern, shape of cells varying from polygonal to an elongated spindle. Surface of dorsum lacking pattern, though still very granular. Dorsal lobes not well developed. Claw with subapical tooth, pulvillus fine, flexuous with expanded tip. Rasp and mirror of Pearman´s organ well developed. Epiproct (fig. 166) trapezoidal, apical half setose. Paraproct (fig. 166) with round field of15trichobothria.Subgenital plate (fig. 167) apically bilobed; few small setae towards apex, and longer setae on body of plate. Gonapophyses (fig. 168).

Dimensions. B 1.7, FW 0.32, HW 0.22, F 0.30, T 0.58, t

1

0.150, t

2

0.111, rt 1.4:1, ct 0,0, f

1

0.150, f

2

0.103.

Description of macropterous female. Coloration (after ca 7 years in alcohol). As micropterous female except pigmentation of head less intense, and thorax overall dark brown, sutural areas buff. Fore wing (fig. 169) and hind wing hyaline, veins dark brown. Annulations on abdomen also less intense than those of micropterous females.

Morphology. IO:D = 4.7. General morphology as in micropterous female, except head with less obvious reticulate pattern on brown markings. Antennae slightly longer (length 1.06 mm). Dorsal lobes of thorax well developed, apices of lobes of metathoracic dorsa bearing anastomosing network of small tubercles. Mesothoracic sterna broad. Fore wing (fig. 169): veins with sparse short setae; vein cu 2 glabrous; veins rs and m fused for a length. Hind wing with veins r and m fused for a length, veins r and m+cu fused basally. Genitalia as in micropterous female.

Dimensions. B 1.8, FW 2.15, HW 1.62, F 0.32, T 0.68, t 1 0.166, t 2 0.111, rt 1.5:1, ct 8,0, f 1 0.182, f 2 0.134.

Description of male. Coloration (after ca 5 years in alcohol). Head as in micropterous female. Thorax, fore wing (fig. 170) and hind wing (fig. 171) as in macropterous female. Abdomen buff, terminal segments dark brown.

Morphology. IO:D = 2.6. Eyes small, not reaching level of vertex when looking at side of head. General morphology as in macropterous female. Head with obvious reticulate pattern as in micropterous female. Antenna longer than female (length 1.82 mm), dense setae of flagellar segments uniform in length. Lobe of ninth tergite basal to epiproct well developed (fig. 172), apically bearing small broad tubercles, preapically bearing a single row of setae. Epiproct (fig. 172) setose in apical half. Paraproct (fig. 172) with round field of 28 trichobothria. Hypandrium (fig. 173, torn): margin rounded apically, setose; band of pigment broad around apical margin; median indentation absent. Phallosome (fig. 174) frame anteriorly with median unsclerotised region. Endophallic pair of sclerites symmetrical, each consisting of: an anterior transverse sclerite; a longitudinally broad median sclerite bearing 2-5 apical finger-like projections, the lateral projection being longest and the median projection shortest; a longitudinally narrow lateral sclerite, heavily sclerotised, shorter in length than projections of preceding sclerite. Endophallic pair of lobes membranous, strongly spiculate.

Dimensions. B 1.7, FW 2.65, HW 1.92, F 0.34, T 0.73, t

1

0.190, t 2 0.095, rt 2.0:1, ct 15,0, f 1 0.316, f 2 0.237.

Remarks. In features of the phallosome this species is closely related to P. tillyardi and P. hickmani New. Micropterous, brachypterous and macropterous females of P. pamae have been collected: the brachypterous females possessing the dark brown patches on the head found in micropterous females, and the dark brown well developed thorax of macropterous females. Some brachypterous females possess the dark shading concentrated at the apex of the pterostigma of the fore wing as noted in the description of the holotype of P. tillyardi ( New, 1973a: 343). P. hickmani clearly differs from P. pamae in coloration, the shape of the apical median lobe of the subgenital plate and in features of the phallosome, notably in the absence of particular endophallic sclerites and in the shape of the external parameres.

New (1973a: 344) noted that the endophallic sclerites of P. tillyardi are asymmetrical. Subsequent examination of the phallosome of the holotype and those of additional material from Victoria and Tasmania indicate that the sclerites are symmetrical, and similar in form to those described above for P. pamae . The finger-like projections of the longitudinal medianscleritealsovaryinnumber(from2-5);thelongitudinal narrow lateral sclerite, however, is longer, and the apex is in line with the apex of the longest projection of the median sclerite.

Some features of female genitalia have been found to vary. The setae along the dorsolateral margin of the external valve of the gonapophyses in most of the specimens examined are similar to those figured for the holotype. In some individuals, however, the setae extend further along the margin towards the base of the gonapophyses. The number of setae on the apical margin of the dorsal valve varies between 4 and 7, most specimens having only 4. The extent of the bilobed apex of the subgenital plate also varies (depending on the nature of the preparation) to the extent that, in some cases, the apical margin is transverse.

P. pamae differs from P. tillyardi in possessing the short lateral longitudinal endophallic sclerite within the phallosome, in coloration, particularly noticeable in the legs, and in possessing small eyes ( P. tillyardi IO :D - 2.8, 1.0). Micropterous and brachypterous females of P. tillyardi are thus far unknown. This locally widespread species was found in most vegetation types.

Etymology. Named for Pamela Gaulke, for her friendship and generous hospitality while ERS was in Tasmania.

Figures

Figures 164-174. Peripsocus pamae. Female:164, fore wing; 165, hind wing; 166, epiproct and paraproct; 167, subgenital plate; 168, gonapophyses; 169, macropterous fore wing. Figures 164, 165 and 166-168 to common scales. Male: 170, fore wing; 171, hind wing; 172, epiproct, paraproct and clunium; 173, hypandrium; 174, phallosome. Figures 170, 171 and 172-174 to common scales.