Ensiferothrips lamingtoni, Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2016

Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2016, Genera of the leaf-feeding Dendrothripinae of the world (Thysanoptera, Thripidae), with new species from Australia and Sulawesi, Indonesia, Zootaxa 4109 (5), pp. 569-582 : 577-578

Ensiferothrips lamingtoni sp.n.

Female macroptera: Body and legs brown, tarsi yellow; antennal segments I–II brown, III weakly shaded, IV–IX brownish yellow; fore wing pale at base with two transverse dark bands, clavus pale with dark base.

Head reticulate, reticles of ocellar triangle with internal markings ( Fig. 21 ), ocellar setae pair III arising on margins of triangle; frons with 2 pairs of stout setae near bases of antennae; maxillary palps small, 2-segmented. Antennae 9-segmented ( Fig. 23 ), VI with complete division and long sense cone arising on basal third; sense cones on III and IV with arms transverse. Pronotum reticulate, reticles with internal markings except for paired groups of darker foveae ( Fig. 21 ); posterior margin with 4 pairs of setae, outer pair IV longest. Mesonotal setae all small, metanotal median setae small and distant from anterior margin ( Fig. 22 ), reticles elongate with internal markings. Fore wing first vein with 7–10 widely spaced setae, second vein with 2 setae, clavus with 2 veinal and one discal setae; anteromarginal cilia arising ventrally just behind anterior margin, costal setae finely pointed. Tergites with lateral thirds closely striate ( Fig. 24 ), VIII with long marginal comb; IX and X with band of discal microtrichia on posterior third. Sternites transversely reticulate, III–VII with 3 pairs of marginal setae, II with 2 pairs.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 1100. Head, length 60; width across eyes 150; ocellar setae pair III 30. Pronotum, length 100; width 180; posteromarginal setae I–IV 25, 15, 35, 50. Fore wing length 800; apical seta length 75. Antennal segments III–IX length 30, 28, 28, 30, 8, 5, 12.

Male: Not known.

Material studied: Holotype female, Australia, Queensland, O’Reillys, Lamington N.P., from leaves of Quintinia sieberi [ Paracryphiaceae ], 10.x.2006 (LAM 4941), in ANIC.

Paratypes: 8 females taken with holotype; 4 females same data except 9.x.2006; same locality: 2 females from Pentaceras australis flowers [ Rutaceae ], 10.x.2006, 2 females from tree lvs, 9.x.2006, 1 female from Homalanthus nutans [ Euphorbiaceae ], 10.x.2006, 2 females from yellow pan trap, x.2006.

Comments. The sculpture of the tergites and the chaetotaxy of the fore wing resembles that of Leucothrips species, but the pronotum lacks a median transverse groove. There is thus a gradient in body form from lamingtoni to the extremes of primus and wallacei , with secundus exhibiting intermediate conditions. The latter species remains known only from Lord Howe Island where it lives on Trophis scandens [ Moraceae ].

Figures

FIGURES 20 – 27. Dendrothripinae. (20) Dendrothrips williamsi head and pronotum. 21 – 24 Ensiferothrips lamingtoni: (21) head and pronotum; (22) meso and metanotum; (23) antenna; (24) tergites III – VI. 25 – 27 Ensiferothrips wallacei: (25) tergites III – VII; (26) head and pronotum; (27) fore wing.