Liothrips brevis, 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 : 64-65

Liothrips brevis sp. n.

( Figs 9 , 23 , 56 , 71 , 98 )

Female macroptera. Body brown; all femora brown, fore tibiae clear yellow, mid and hind tibiae brown with extreme apices yellow, all tarsi yellow; antennal segments I brown, II brown at base and lateral margins, apical half yellow, III–VI uniform yellow, VII–VIII lightly brown; major setae dark; fore wing shaded with light brown.

Head as long as wide, genae convex ( Fig. 9 ); postocular setae blunt, slightly shorter than eyes; eyes equal dorsally and ventrally; maxillary stylets about 0.25 of head width apart, retracted to level of postocular setae ( Fig. 9 ); mouth cone bluntly pointed, reaching to level of posterior margin of ferna. Antennal segment III about twice as long as apical width ( Fig. 23 ); IV with 3 major sense cones, VIII small but distinct from VII. Pronotum transverse, with 5 pairs of long blunt setae, am slightly longer than aa; surface almost smooth, with weak sculpture near margins. Fore femora not enlarged. Fore wing with 3 blunt sub-basal setae arising in straight line, almost equal in length, with about 10 duplicated cilia. Mesonotum transversely reticulate, lateral setae well-developed, blunt. Metanotum sculptured with longitudinal stripes, major setae slender and acute. Mesopresternum paired lateral triangles weakly connected medially ( Fig. 56 ), metathoracic sternopleural sutures short. Pelta broadly triangular, weakly reticulate, with a pair of CPS ( Fig. 71 ); tergite II with 3 pairs of lateral setae; tergite VIII posterolateral setae well-developed, slightly shorter than posteroangulars; tergite IX setae S1–S3 about as long as tube, acute at apex ( Fig. 98 ); tube shorter than head, anal setae about as long as tube.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 2310. Head length (maximum width) 200 (210); postocular setae length 80; antennal segments I–VIII length (width): 40 (40), 45 (35), 65 (35), 60 (40), 60 (35), 60 (35), 55 (30), 30 (15); sense cone on III length 25. Pronotum length (width) 150 (285); am 60, aa 50, ml 75, epim 95, pa 105. Fore wing length 840; sub-basal setae S1 70, S2 70, S3 80. Tergite VIII posterolateral setae 80; tergite IX setae S1 180, S2 180, S3 160; tube length 180, basal width 95, apical width 45; anal setae length 160.

Male macroptera. Similar to female in colour and sculpture; abdominal tergite IX setae S2 short and acute; sternite VIII largely occupied by pore plate.

Measurements (paratype male in microns). Body length 2240. Head length (maximum width) 200 (225); postocular setae length 75. Pronotum length (width) 125 (275); am 45, aa 30, ml 60, epim 100, pa 95. Tergite IX setae S1 180, S2 35, S3 190; tube length 175, basal width 100, apical width 55; anal setae length 165.

Specimens studied. Holotype female, CHINA, Guangxi, Chongzuo, Daxin, taken on leaves of unknown tree, 25.vii. 2021, Xia Wang ( SNUT).

Paratypes: 1 female with same data as holotype ( SNUT); Yunnan , 2 males on leaves of unknown tree, 6.v.1980, Tiesen Zhong ( NZMC) .

Etymology. This species name refers to the short head.

Comments. Liothrips brevis sp. n. is one of four species among the Chinese Liothrips that have the head short. It is similar to L. longistylus sp. n. and L. aporosae in having an elongate mouth cone and the postocular setae well-developed. But they can be distinguished by the sculpture of the metanotum and the antennal coloration as in the above key.

Figures

FIGURES 9–14. Heads and pronotum. Liothrips species (9–13): (9) brevis sp. n.; (10) mirabilis; (11) longistylus sp. n.; (12) populi sp. n.; (13) piceae sp. n. (14) Teuchothrips turkestanicus.

FIGURES 22–41. Antennae of Liothrips species. (22) adusticornis; (23) brevis sp. n.; (24) fagraeae; (25) hagai; (26) minys; (27) pallipes; (28) piperinus; (29) populi sp. n.; (30) setinodis; (31) elongatus sp. n.; (32) mohanrami; (33) rohdeae; (34) wasabiae; (35) piceae sp. n.; (36) heptapleuricola; (37) miyazakii; (38) longistylus sp. n.; (39) tibetanus sp. n.; (40) vaneeckei; (41) mirabilis.

FIGURES 53–60. Liothrips species. Mesopresternum (53–58): (53) aporosae; (54) elongatus sp. n.; (55) mohanrami; (56) brevis sp. n.; (57) longistylus sp. n.; (58) setinodis. Hind tibiae and tarsi (59–60): (59) elongatus sp. n.; (60) piceae 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.