Heterothrips savanicus, Pereyra, Veronica & Cavalleri, Adriano, 2012

Pereyra, Veronica & Cavalleri, Adriano, 2012, The genus Heterothrips (Thysanoptera) in Brazil, with an identification key and seven new species, Zootaxa 3237, pp. 1-23 : 20

Heterothrips savanicus sp. n.

Female winged. Body brown ( Fig. 21 ); fore legs pale brown washed with dark brown at base of femur and tibia, mid and hind femora and tibiae brown with pale apex; tarsi pale; antennal segment I–II and V–IX brown, III pale brown, IV pale brown at base, brown at apex; fore wing uniformly brown.

Head wider than long, with no long setae; ocellar region with three pairs of setae, pair III on anterior margin of ocellar triangle ( Fig. 27 ). Antennae 9-segmented, segment III apparently divided into three parts, IV entire and shorter than III, both segments with one row of small sensorial pores ( Figs 25–26 ). Pronotum broadly reticulate with no long setae ( Fig. 28 ); mesonotum reticulate-striate; metanotum with concentric lines of sculpture, covered with microtrichia and not forming a triangle ( Fig. 24 ). Fore wing with two rows of minute brown setae.

Abdominal tergites I–VIII laterally with several rows of microtrichia and with an entire craspedum bearing a fringe of small microtrichia on posterolateral margin; craspeda absent medially but with a fringe of microtrichia posteromedially ( Fig. 22 ). Sternites II–VI posterior margins with well-developed entire craspedum bearing microtrichia, with about 6 pairs of posteromarginal setae and no discal setae present ( Fig. 23 ).

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 1140 (distended). Head, length 80; width 137. Pronotum, length 125; width 215. Fore wing length 720; median width 32. Abdominal tergites IX and X length 72 and 62, respectively. Antennal segments III–IX length (width), 55 (22), 40 (22), 32 (18), 32 (15), 20 (12), 20 (10), 20 (8).

Material examined. Holotype female, Brazil, São Paulo, Itirapina (22º16’11”S, 47º49’37”W), 14.iii.2010, on Psyllocarpus ? phyllocephalus flowers (A. Cavalleri). Paratypes: 14 females collected with holotype.

Comments. This new species has undivided tergal craspeda while most of the described Brazilian species have a comb of microtrichia or craspedal lobes on the posterolateral margins of the tergites. Abdominal tergite VIII has a lateral craspeda and microtrichia posteromedially, rather than the usual independent regular row of microtrichia. Apparently related to australis , this species was found living in the small flowers of an herbaceous Rubiaceae together with Haplothrips gowdeyi .

Figures

FIGURES 21 – 28. Brazilian Heterothrips. H. savanicus sp. n. female 21 – 28: 21. Dorsal view; 22. Abdominal tergites I – VI; 23. Abdominal sternites II – VI; 24. Mesonotum and metanotum; 25. Antenna; 26. Antennal segments III – IV; 27. Head; 28. Pronotum.