Stomothrips mouldeni, Mound, Laurence A. & Minaei, Kambiz, 2006

Mound, Laurence A. & Minaei, Kambiz, 2006, New fungus­feeding thrips (Thysanoptera Phlaeothripinae) from tropical Australia, Zootaxa 1150, pp. 1-17 : 14

Stomothrips mouldeni sp.n.

( Figs 18 – 19 )

Female macroptera. Body colour light brown, tarsi paler; all major setae capitate and pale; antennal segments III–VI yellow; forewings pale. Head ( Fig. 18 ) longer than wide, elevated in midline, with transversely reticulate weak sculpture laterally and posteriorly; maxillary stylets retracted to compound eyes, close together at anterior but diverging near posterior; mouth cone appearing rounded, apex directed ventrally, not extending beyond fore coxae. Antenae 8­segmented, III with 1 sense cone, IV with 2 sense cones. Pronotum with five pairs of major setae, notopleural sutures complete. Mesonotal lateral setae capitate; metanotum weakly reticulate, median setae acute. Prosternal basantra present, ferna transversely pointed medially, probasisternum eroded medially ( Fig. 19 ); metathoracic sternopleural sutures absent. Fore tarsi unarmed. Forewings very weakly constricted, without duplicated cilia, sub­basal setae capitate. Pelta bell­shaped; tergites with 2 pairs of sigmoid wing­retaining setae of which each anterior pair is weaker than each marginal pair; tergites III – VI and VIII with two pairs of capitate setae laterally, VII and IX with setal pair S2 acute.

Measurements. Holotype female in microns. Body length 1840. Head, length 235; maximum width 145; postocular setae 30. Pronotum, length 105; median width 200; major setae am 35, aa?, ml 25, epim 50, pa 40. Forewing length 640; sub­basal setae 30, 25, 45. Tergite IX setae S1 75; S2 100. Tube length 130. Antennal segments III–VIII length 43, 45, 47, 43, 35, 25.

Male macroptera. Very similar to female in colour and structure, but smaller; sternites with no glandular areas; tergite IX setae S2 short and bluntly pointed.

Comments

In this new species the form, sculpture and chaetotaxy of the head, thorax and abdomen is closely similar to that of S. cycasi . In contrast to that species the body is considerably smaller, the body colour is brown not yellow, and the mouth cone projects ventrally not posteriorly. Other differences are: setal pair S2 on abdominal tergites VII and IX with apices acute not capitate; pronotal posteroangular setae scarcely 0.3 times as long as median length of pronotum instead of at least 0.5; sternal marginal setae scarcely twice as long as discal setae instead of about five times as long; mesopraesternum eroded medially instead of complete. This species is named in recognition of the many contributions of John Moulden to entomology in the north of Western Australia.

Figures

FIGURES 15 – 23. Jacotia, Stomothrips and Streptothrips species. (15) J. rhodorcha head and thorax; (16) J. rhodorcha antenna; (17) J. rhodorcha female; (18) Sto. mouldeni, dorsal; (19) Sto. mouldeni, ventral; (20) Str. tribulatius female aptera; (21) Str. tribulatius tergites VIII – X; (22) Str. tribulatius female aptera mesonotum and metanotum; (23) Str. tribulatius female macroptera antenna.