Liothrips motuoensis, Dang & An & Mound & Qiao, 2024

Dang, Lihong, An, Yiyan, Mound, Laurence A. & Qiao, Gexia, 2024, Leaf-feeding species of the genus Liothrips from China (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae), Zootaxa 5419 (1), pp. 53-84 : 70-71

Liothrips motuoensis sp. n.

( Figs 4 , 48 , 65 , 73 , 99 )

Female macroptera. Body brown; all femora brown, all tibiae and tarsi clear yellow; antennal segments I–II brown, II pale at apex, III–VII uniform yellow, VIII lightly brown; major setae pale; fore wing shaded light brown.

Head about twice as long as wide ( Fig. 4 ); postocular setae blunt, much shorter than eyes, not reaching posterior margin of eyes ( Fig. 4 ); eyes dorsally and ventrally equal in length; maxillary stylets close together medially, retracted to level of postocular setae; mouth cone short and round. Antennal segment III about 2 times as long as apical width; IV with 3 major sense cones, VIII constricted at base. Pronotum transverse, with 2 pairs of long blunt setae, am, aa and pa minute ( Fig. 48 ), slightly longer than discal setae, epim longest; surface almost smooth, with weak sculpture near margins. All legs slender. Fore wing with 3 blunt sub-basal setae arising in straight line, almost equal length, with 11 duplicated cilia. Mesonotum transversely reticulate, lateral setae well-developed, slightly blunt. Metanotum longitudinally reticulate, major setae slender and acute ( Fig. 73 ). Mesopresternum with paired lateral triangles ( Fig. 65 ), metathoracic sternopleural sutures absent. Pelta broadly triangular, weakly reticulate, with pair of CPS ( Fig. 73 ); tergite II with 4 pairs of lateral setae; tergite VIII posterolateral setae well-developed, slightly shorter than posteroangulars; tergite IX setae S1 about half as long as tube, blunt at apex ( Fig. 99 ), S2–S3 about as long as tube, acute at apex; tube shorter than head, anal setae shorter than tube.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 3000. Head length (maximum width) 350 (225); postocular setae length 45; antennal segments I–VIII length (width): 40 (40), 55 (35), 115 (40), 125 (50), 110 (45), 80 (40), 70 (35), 45 (15); sense cone on III length 55. Pronotum length (width) 175 (310); am 5, aa 5, ml 50, epim 105, pa 10. Fore wing length 1450; sub-basal setae S1 85, S2 85, S3 90. Tergite VIII posterolateral setae 110; tergite IX setae S1 160, S2 290, S3 305; tube length 310, basal width 90, apical width 50; anal setae length 250.

Male macroptera. Similar to female in colour and sculpture; pronotal am and pa minute, aa developed, about as long as ml, blunt at apex; abdominal tergite IX setae S2 short and softly pointed; sternite VIII largely occupied by pore plate.

Measurements (paratype male in microns). Body length 2940. Head length (maximum width) 350 (205); postocular setae length 35. Pronotum length (width) 170 (310); am 5, aa 35, ml 35, epim 95, pa 10. Tergite IX setae S1 130, S2 70, S3 370; tube length 350, basal width 90, apical width 50; anal setae length 260.

Specimens studied. Holotype female, CHINA, Tibet, Motuo, taken on leaves of tree, 16.vii. 2022, Yanqiao Li ( SNUT).

Paratypes: 2 females and 1 male with same data as holotype ( SNUT & NZMC) .

Etymology. The species epiphet refers to the collection site.

Comments. This new species has all tibiae yellow as in two other Liothrips species from China, L. styracinus and L. pallipes , as well as L. mirabilis that is a potential pest of Piper plant grown throughout Southern China. This new species can be easily recognized by having only two pairs of setae well-developed on the pronotum ( Fig. 48 ), and S1 on tergite IX short and blunt, about half the length of S2 ( Fig. 99 ).

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. Heads of Liothrips species. (1) adusticornis; (2) bomiensis; (3) elongatus sp. n.; (4) motuoensis sp. n.; (5) hagai; (6) heptapleuricola; (7) miyazakii; (8) mohanrami.

FIGURES 47–52. Pronotum of Liothrips species. (47) hagai; (48) motuoensis sp. n.; (49) setinodis; (50) tibetanus sp. n.; (51) miyazakii; (52) bomiensis.

FIGURES 61–68. Liothrips species. Mesopresternum (61–65): (61) populi sp. n.; (62) rohdeae; (63) wasabiae; (64) vaneeckei; (65) motuoensis sp. n. Mesopresternum and metathoracic sternopleural sutures (66–68): (66) piceae sp. n.; (67) floridensis; (68) tibetanus sp. n.

FIGURES 69–79. Metanotum and pelta of Liothrips species. (69) bomiensis; (70) bournierorum; (71) brevis sp. n.; (72) heptapleuricola; (73) motuoensis sp. n.; (74) hagai; (75) floridensis; (76) piceae sp. n.; (77) elongatus sp. n.; (78) populi sp. n.; (79) mohanrami.

FIGURES 97–102. Tergites IX–X of Liothrips species. (97) bournierorum; (98) brevis sp. n.; (99) motuoensis sp. n.; (100) piperinus; (101) tibetanus sp. n.; (102) populi sp. n.