Leeuwenia aliceae, Mound & Tree, 2021

Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2021, Structural variation among species of Leeuwenia (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae) with three new species from Australia, Zootaxa 4903 (3), pp. 439-447 : 441-442

Leeuwenia aliceae sp.n.

[ Figs 1 , 9‒12 , 15 ]

Female macroptera. Body dark brown with yellow longitudinal stripe medially between compound eyes ( Figs 1 , 9 ); coxae and femora brown, tibiae yellow but washed with brown basally, tarsi yellow; fore wings pale with median longitudinal brown stripe; antennal segments I‒II brown, III‒VIII yellow. Head with genae parallel-sided; vertex with narrow transverse reticulation; postocular setae weakly capitate, small but distinct from minor setae, post ocellar setae slender and acute; maxillary stylets one third of head width apart, not deeply retracted into head ( Fig. 9 ). Antennal segment III slender, almost 4.0 times as long as maximum width; III with one sense cone, IV with two, these sense cones slightly longer than apical width of their segment. Pronotum reticulate ( Fig. 10 ), reticles with internal markings; am setae pointed and longer than discal setae, the other major setae capitate; notopleural sutures not fully complete. Mesonotal lateral setae small. Metanotum reticulate ( Fig. 11 ), reticles with internal markings, with one pair of pointed setae medially and one pair of smaller setae near anterior margin. Prosternal basantra not developed, ferna transverse, mesopresternum complete; sternopleural sutures not present. Fore tarsi without tooth. Pelta wider than long ( Fig. 11 ); tergites II‒VII each with two pairs of slender wing-retaining setae; tergite IX setae S1 slender with bluntly pointed apices, S2 longer and finely acute ( Fig. 12 ); tube about 5.3 times as long as basal width.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 2900. Head, length 325; width across genae 220; postocular setae 25. Pronotum, length 175; width 325; major setae am 25, aa 50, ml 40, epim 65, pa 35. Fore wing length 1100; sub-basal setae S1‒ S3 35, 50, 50. Tergite IX setae S1 210, S2 275. Tube 480. Antennal segments III‒VIII length, 95, 80, 80, 75, 55, 45.

Material studied. Holotype female, Australia, Queensland, Fishery Falls [17°11’S; 145°53’E], 30km south of Cairns , from? Myrsine leaves, 10.xi.2007 (Alice Wells).

Paratypes: 8 females collected with holotype .

Comments. This species is remarkable for the elongate, pointed major setae on the ninth abdominal tergite, but it shares a relatively short tube with both L. dyospyri and L. polyosmae .

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Leeuwenia species. Females 1–3: (1) aliceae sp.n.; (2) cameroni sp.n.; (3) irukandji sp.n. Leaf galls 4–6: (4) colony of scolopiae; (5) colony of tetrastigmae with Teuchothrips sp. inquiline; (6) polyosmae gall.

FIGURES 7–14. Leeuwenia species. Head & pronotum 7–8: (7) cameroni sp. n. (8) irukandji sp.n. L. aliceae sp.n. 9–12: (9) head; (10) pronotum; (11) metanotum, pelta and tergite II; (12) tube. Tergites III–IV 13-14: (13) cameroni sp. n.; (14) irukandji sp. n.

FIGURES 15–21. Leeuwenia species. Antennal segments III–VIII 15–16: (15) aliceae sp. n.; (16) cameroni sp. n. Metanotum & pelta 17–18: (17) cameroni sp. n.; (18) irukandji sp. n. Prosternites 19–20: (19) irukandji sp. n.; (20) scolopiae. (21) scolopiae metanotum, pelta and tergite II.