Ectopsocus hickmani, Schmidt & New, 2008

Schmidt, Evan R. & New, Timothy R., 2008, The Psocoptera (Insecta) of Tasmania, Australia, Memoirs of Museum Victoria 65, pp. 71-152 : 108-110

Ectopsocus hickmani sp. nov.

Figures 117–24

Material examined. Holotype: Tasmania, the Domain, Hobart, from loose bark on eucalypts, 17–18 Apr 1968. One and 4 paratypes: same data as holotype ( V. V. Hickman).

Description of female. Coloration (after ca 25 years in alcohol). Head buff with the following brown: confluent markings dorsal to eyes, along back of vertex and each side of median epicranial suture; region between ocelli; broad band on frons adjacent to epistomal suture; postclypeus, except area near each ventrolateral margin; labrum; band between eye and antenna socket; antenna. Eyes black. Fore wing (fig. 117) hyaline, with ten brown clouds: one at apex of each vein at wing margin, one at the apex and base of the pterostigma and one at the rs – m junction. Hind wing (fig. 118) hyaline. Thorax brown, sutural areas darker. Legs buff. Abdomen buff, lateral margins of terga with incipient annulations, terminal segments pale.

Morphology. IO:D = 4.0. Median epicranial suture not distinct. Distal margin of labrum with 5 sensilla. Distinct row of six trichoid sensilla on anterior margin of outer surface of labrum, four median in a row and each lateral sensillum posteriorly to these. Epistomal suture present, clypeal shelf absent. Lacinia apex not divided, outer margin longer than median. Flagellar segments bearing setae of differing lengths, larger setae on (anterior) outer margin. Placoid sensilla distributed as follows: 2 base f 1, 1 apices f 4, f 6 and f 10; sensilla of f 6 and f 10 possessing a long slender filament. Apex of terminal segment narrowed, bluntly rounded. Fore wing (fig. 117) with veins bearing single row of short, distally slanting setae; vein cu 2 glabrous; stigmasac prominent. Hind wing (fig. 118) with veins r and m+cu fused for short distance at base of wing; veins r and m joined by a small cross-vein, about six small setae on margin between radial fork. Epiproct (fig. 119) setose, pair of prominent setae on central unsclerotised region. Paraproct (fig. 119) with round field of 8–9 trichobothria, posterior margin bearing pair of adjacent unequal duplex spines and associated seta. Subgenital plate (fig. 120): prominent apical lobes each bearing 3–4 strong apical setae; preapical row of setae divided into 4 median and 2 lateral, latter setae near the lateral margin of plate; pair of large setae medially on plate; apex of median region between lobes spiculate. Gonapophyses (fig. 121): ventral valve short, sclerotised, with spiculate apex; dorsal valve short, apically broadly rounded, spiculate; apical half of external valve bearing about 6 scattered shorter setae and 1 large seta, apex also spiculate. Spermathecal sac (fig. 121) small, sclerotised.

Dimensions. B 2.0, FW 1.98, HW 1.50, F 0.45, T 0.73, t

1

0.253, t

2

0.095, rt 2.7:1, ct 14,0, f

1

0.379, f

2

0.213.

Description of male. Coloration (after ca 25 years in alcohol). As female. Fore wing as in fig. 122.

Morphology. IO:D = 3.0. Features of head and wings as female. Epiproct with apical third setose. Paraproct with round field of trichobothria and duplex spines as in female. Ninth tergite (fig. 123, paratype) with apical comb of rounded teeth, shorter over central section. Apex of eighth tergite with semicircular field of blunt spines (fig. 123, paratype). An ill-defined field of short spines on ninth sternite lateral to the field on eighth tergite. Hypandrium apical margin transverse, a pair of long setae on each lateral margin adjacent to a small sclerotised thickening. Phallosome (fig. 124) similar to that of Ectopsocus petersi , with a single “thimble” structure near apex of inner fused parameres. Endophallus with well developed spiculate lobe and a series of long spines.

Dimensions. B 2.0, FW 2.45, HW 1.80, F 0.50, T 0.90, t 1 0.276, t

2

0.095, rt 2.9:1, ct 17,0, f

1

0.498, f

2

0.308.

Remarks. Of the genitalic features listed by Schmidt and Thornton (1993: 165, Table 3) for seven species of Ectopsocus this species is most similar to those of Ectopsocus australis , now a synonym of E. petersi ( Smithers, 2003) . Both species share the following: straight apical lobes of the subgenital plate, adjacent unequal duplex spines on the posterior margin of the paraproct, the presence of a spermathecal sac, a single “thimble” structure on the phallosome and a field of spines on the apex of the eighth tergite. Ectopsocus hickmani differs from E. petersi on two features of the subgenital plate: apical lobes are not separated from the disc by a suture, and the projection between the distal setae of the apical lobe is absent. Thelongspinesassociatedwiththeendophallusof E. hickmani are absent in E. petersi .

Etymology. Named for the late Prof. Vernon V. Hickman, who collected the specimens of this species.

Figures

Figures 117-124. Ectopsocus hickmani. Female: 117, fore wing; 118, hind wing; 119, epiproct and paraproct; 120, subgenital plate; 121, gonapophyses. Male: 122, fore wing; 123, ninth tergite; 124, phallosome. Figures 117, 118 and 119-121, 123 and 124 to common scales.