Sophiothrips darwini, Mound & Tree, 2014

Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2014, The minute, fungus-feeding species of Sophiothrips (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae) from Australia and New Zealand, Zootaxa 3860 (2), pp. 184-194 : 186-187

Sophiothrips darwini sp. n.

( Figs 2 , 9 , 15, 19 , 23 )

Male aptera: Bicoloured; head yellow, also tergites II–III and VIII–IX, tube brownish-yellow; tarsi all yellow, fore legs pale, mid and hind legs bicoloured; antennal segments I–III yellow, IV–VI yellow at base, VII–VIII brown.

Head wider than long, without sculpture except on posterior third; ocellar and lateral postocular setae bluntly capitate, two pairs of minor postocular setae; stylets not retracted into head capsule; major male with weak tubercle on ventral surface of head medially between posterior margins of eyes. Antennae ( Fig. 9 ), segment II with pair of blunt setae at dorsal apex, III with one sensorium and a small sharp-edged ring near base, IV–V each with 2 sensoria, VI longer than VII+VIII, with 3 sensoria. Pronotum almost without sculpture, all 5 pairs of major setae present but small and bluntly pointed. Fore femora of major male swollen, tarsal tooth large. Meso and metanotum strongly transverse, metanotum weakly reticulate with one pair of major setae. Prosternal basantra present, mesopresternum represented by pair of slender lateral triangles ( Fig. 19 ); mesoeusternum entire. Pelta weakly reticulate, extending almost fully across tergite II ( Fig. 15 ); tergites weakly reticulate; IX with setae S1 and S2 bluntly pointed, S3 long and finely acute; posterior margin of IX with prominent tubercle ( Fig. 23 ). Sternites without specialized reticulation, median pair of marginal setae on II and III as long as median length of these sternites.

Measurements (holotype male in microns). Body length 1230. Head, length 90; width 120; ocellar setae 20; postocular setae 25. Pronotum, length175; width 200; major setae am 15, aa 20, ml 25, epim 30, pa 30. Metanotal major setae 20. Tergite VI posteroangular setae 25; tergite IX setae S1 65, S2 20, S3 120. Tube length 100. Sternite II marginal setae S1 65; sternite VIII marginal setae S1 75. Antennal segments III–VIII length 40, 35, 35, 45, 25, 15.

Female aptera: Similar in colour and structure to small male aptera except, fore tarsal tooth small and hooked; prosternal basantra weak.

Measurements (paratype female in microns). Body length 1280. Head, length 100; width 135. Tergite IX setae S1 55, S2 60, S3 75. Tube length 90.

Female macroptera: Similar to female aptera but head almost brown, cephalic setae shorter ( Fig. 2 ); prosternal basantra present; fore wing parallel-sided, without duplicated cilia; pelta with slender lateral wings; tergites III–VII each with one pair of sigmoid wing-retaining setae.

Measurements (paratype female macroptera in microns). Body length 1420. Head, length 115; width 155. Fore wing length 500. Tube length 115.

Specimens studied: Holotype male aptera, Northern Territory, Darwin, Charles Darwin N.P., from dead branch of Planchonia careya (Lecythidaceae) with? Stereum fungus, 1.v.2014 (LAM 5968).

Paratypes: Northern Territory, 2 female macropterae, 4 female apterae, 4 male apterae, taken with holotype; Darwin, East Point , 1 female macroptera, 3 female apterae, 5 male apterae from dead branches, 5.v.2014 ; Darwin, Holmes Jungle , 1 female apterae, from barkspray of fallen tree, 8.v.2014 ; Humpty Doo , 8 female macropterae, 1 female aptera, from dead stringy bark, 24.xii.1996 , same locality, 1 female macroptera, 15.v.1999 . Western Australia, Kununnura Gorge , 2 male and 4 female apterae, 1 female macroptera, from dead twigs, 23.ii.2005 ; Kununnura, Frank Wise Institute , 8 male and 8 female apterae, 2 female macropterae, from dead twigs, 24.ii.2005 ; Kununnura , 1 female aptera from dead wood, 20.ix.2009 .

Comments. This species is similar in structure to typicus from India ( Mound 1977), but that has abdominal segments II–VII almost entirely yellow.

Figures

FIGURES 1–7. Sophiothrips from Australia. Heads and pronota: (1) canberrae sp.n.; (2) darwini sp.n.; (3) greensladei; (4) martinae sp.n.; (5) mongae sp.n.; (6) placodes sp.n.; (7) postlei sp.n.

FIGURES 8–13. Sophiothrips from Australia, antennae. (8) canberrae sp.n.; (9) darwini sp.n. (10) greensladei; (11) martinae sp.n.; (12) placodes sp.n.; (13) postlei sp.n.

FIGURES 14–22. Sophiothrips from Australia. (14) canberrae sp.n., tergites I–III. Metanotum and pelta, 15–18: (15) darwini sp.n.; (16) martinae sp.n.; (17) mongae sp.n.; (18) placodes sp.n. Pro and mesosternites 19–20: (19) darwini sp.n.; (20) canberrae sp.n. (21) martinae sp.n. male sternite VI; (22) mongae sp.n. tergites V–VI.

FIGURES 23–29. Sophiothrips from Australia, tergite IX and tube. (23) darwini sp.n.; (24) greensladei; (25) mongae sp.n.; (26) placodes sp.n.; (27) postlei sp.n.; (28) martinae sp.n. female; (29) martinae sp.n. male.