Ectopsocus sprenti, Schmidt & New, 2008

Schmidt, Evan R. & New, Timothy R., 2008, The Psocoptera (Insecta) of Tasmania, Australia, Memoirs of Museum Victoria 65, pp. 71-152 : 111-114

Ectopsocus sprenti sp. nov.

Figures 133–41

Material examined. Holotype: Tasmania, South Arm Recreation Area , dead Eucalyptus foliage, 3 Sep 1986 . Paratype and 1 nymph: same data as holotype.

Description of male. Coloration (after ca 7 years in alcohol). Head brown, with vague darker markings dorsal to eyes, each side of dark median epicranial suture and on postclypeus, striae converging towards midline. Ocelli dark brown, with dark brown centripetal margins. Antenna pale brown. Eyes black. Fore wing hyaline (fig. 133), veins brown. Hind wing hyaline (fig. 134). Thorax and legs brown. Abdomen cream.

Morphology. IO:D = 3.0. Epistomal suture present, clypeal shelf absent. Distal margin of labrum with 5 sensilla. Distinct row of 6 trichoid sensilla on anterior margin of outer surface of labrum, each lateral sensillum slightly apart from the 4 median. Lacinia apically bifid, lateral projection larger than median. Head covered by setae of various lengths. Setae on flagellar segments of uniform length. Distribution of placoids as follows: 2 at base f 1, 1 at apices f 4, f 6 and f 10; those on f 6 and f 10 bearing a long slender filament. Apex of terminal segment bluntly rounded. Fore wing (fig. 133): veins bearing single row of distally slanting setae; vein cu 2 glabrous; pterostigma elongated, posterior apex rounded, shape not rectanguloid as is usual for the genus. Hind wing (fig. 134) with veins rs and m fused for a length; veins r and m+cu fused for a length basally, setae on margin absent. Epiproct (fig. 135). Paraproct (fig. 135) with 8 trichobothria, posterior margin bearing a pair of unequal duplex spines and associated seta. Ninth tergite (fig. 136) bearing apical comb of very short blunt spines. Apex of eighth tergite and lateral margins of ninth sternite lacking fields of ornamentation. Hypandrium apical margin strongly setose. Phallosome (fig. 137) with inner parameres meeting apically, endophallus bearing strong median sclerite.

Dimensions. B 1.60, FW 2.12, HW 1.62. F 0.37, T 0.59, t

1

0.174, t

2

0.095, rt 1.8:1, ct 11,0, f

1

0.237, f

2

0.142.

Description of female. Coloration (after ca 7 years in alcohol). As male. Fore wing (fig. 138) and hind wing (fig. 139) hyaline.

Morphology. IO:D = 3.0. Ocelli present, very small. Epistomal suture present, clypeal shelf absent. Distal margin of labrum with 5 sensilla. Anterior margin of outer surface of labrum with distinct row of 6 trichoid sensilla. Flagellar segments with setae of differing lengths. Distribution of placoid sensilla as follows: 1 at two-thirds distance from base of f 1 (on other antenna 1 at apex f 1), 1 apices f 4, f 6 and f 10, those of f 6 and f 10 with a long slender filament. Micropterous. Fore wing (fig. 138) with venation reduced, setae in a single row on veins, vein cu 2 glabrous. Hind wing (fig. 139) reduced to small veinless flap. Epiproct setose, with 2 prominent apical setae. Paraproct with 2 trichobothria and one seta not in rosette, posterior margin with pair of small unequal duplex spines and associated seta. Subgenital plate (fig. 140) apical lobes with 4 setae. Gonapophyses (fig. 141) with ventral valve broad, dorsal valve with spiculate apex, greater in length than external valve, apically with about 6 setae. Spermathecal plate (fig. 141) rounded.

Dimensions. B 1.35, FW 0.24, HW 0.09, F 0.28, T 0.43, t

1

0.158, t

2

0.079, rt 2:1, ct 0,0, f

1

0.111, f

2

0.079.

Remarks. This species is similar to E. brunneus (both sexes macropterous) in general colour, in the fusion of veins rs and m in the hind wing and in the shape of the inner parameres of the phallosome. E. sprenti differs in possessing fewer setae on the male fore wing, the male hind wing lacking marginal setae, the endophallus containing a large median sclerite, and microptery in females. E. sprenti is a much smaller species than E. brunneus . The female of E. sprenti is similar to that of E. edwardsi in general morphology and in details of genitalia. The shape of the apical lobes of the subgenital plate, the form of the gonapophyses and shape of the spermathecal plate are similar in both species. E. sprenti differs from E. edwardsi in details of chaetotaxy on the apical lobes of the subgenital plate and on the external valve of the gonapophyses. The duplex spines of the paraproct also differ between the two species.

Etymology. Named for James Sprent, an early surveyor and explorer in Tasmania.

Figures

Figures 133-141. Ectopsocus sprenti. Male: 133, fore wing; 134, hind wing; 135, epiproct and paraproct; 136, ninth tergite; 137, phallosome. Female: 138, fore wing; 139, hind wing; 140, subgenital plate; 141, gonapophyses. Figures 135 and 137-140 to common scale.