Haplothrips aliceae, Mound, 2019

Mound, Laurence A., 2019, Identification of Haplothrips species from Malesia (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae), Zootaxa 4623 (1), pp. 41-50 : 42-43

Haplothrips aliceae sp.n.

( Figs 1–5 )

Female macroptera. Body almost bicoloured; head brown laterally but yellowish medially, pronotum yellowish with coxae darker, pterothorax and abdomen light brown to brown with tube darkest; legs almost clear yellow with femora faintly shaded; antennal segment I brown, II brown with apex yellow, III yellow, IV–VI yellow but brown distally, VII–VIII brown; major setae and fore wing pale. Head longer than wide ( Fig. 1 ), eyes slightly larger dorsally than ventrally, hind ocelli close to compound eyes; dorsal surface without sculpture medially, with weak transverse lines laterally; maxillary stylets retracted to postocular setae, one-third of head width apart, with distinct maxillary bridge; postocular setae weakly capitate, shorter than dorsal length of eyes; mouth cone short and rounded. Antennal segment VIII slender and constricted to base; IV–VI with basal stem ( Fig. 3 ); III with 2 slender sense cones, IV with 3 of which the inner is stouter than the lateral two. Pronotum transverse, epimeral sutures complete, without sculpture lines except for weak median longitudinal ridge ( Fig. 1 ); with 4 pairs of capitate major setae, anteromarginal setae minute. Fore tarsus inner margin produced into stout, distal, slightly curved tooth ( Fig. 3 ). Prosternal sclerites well-developed, mesopresternum broadly boat-shaped ( Fig. 4 ); metathoracic sterno-pleural sutures not developed. Mesonotal lateral setae capitate but small ( Fig. 5 ). Metanotum reticulate, median major setae acute, with one pair of minor setae on anterior third ( Fig. 2 ). Fore wing slender, weakly constricted medially, with 4 or 5 duplicated cilia; sub-basal setae capitate, apex of S3 weakly capitate ( Fig. 5 ). Pelta longer than wide ( Fig. 2 ); tergites II–VII each with 2 pairs of sigmoid wing-retaining setae, strongly developed on IV–VI; tergite IX major setae finely acute, longer than tube; tube shorter than head, anal setae not elongate; sternites with transverse row of about 8 short discal setae.

Measurements (holotype female in microns): Body length 1920. Head, length 200; width 135; po setae 45. Pronotum, length 125; width 200; major setae aa 30, ml 25, epim 60, pa 35. Fore wing length 700; sub-basal setae S1 30, S2 45, S3 75. Tergite III posteromarginal setae S1 80, S2 35. Tergite IX posteromarginal setae S1 150, S2 145. Tube length 125. Antennal segments III–VIII length 50, 55, 50, 45, 40, 35; sense cone on III 15.

Male macroptera. Very similar to female in colour, sculpture and chaetotaxy, fore tarsal tooth slightly larger; tergite IX setae S2 short and slightly stout.

Measurements (paratype male in microns): Body length 1550. Head length 175. Fore wing length 650. Tergite IX posteromarginal setae S1 120, S2 25. Tube length 115.

Comments. On antennal segment IV the inner sense cone is stouter than the two outer sense cones, suggesting the possibility that the presence of only three sense cones on this segment has resulted from the fusion of two on the inner apical margin, as occurs in some specimens of H. bituberculatus . The weakly bicoloured body and the relatively elongate head are particularly unusual conditions among species of this genus.

Specimens studied. Holotype female, East Malaysia, Sarawak, Tamu Abu, Heart of Borneo Expedition, from grass, 17.viii.2017 (Alice Wells 16), in ANIC.

Paratypes: same locality as holotype, 1 female from Fabaceae pink flowers, 22.viii.2017. Timor -Leste, Railoka, 1 male from rice, 28.viii.2018 (Alice Wells 054). Thailand, 1 female taken in quarantine at Sydney, Australia, from asparagus, 20.xi.2002 (A. Hall) .

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. Haplothrips species. H. aliceae (holotype) 1–5: (1) head & pronotum; (2) metanotum & pelta; (3) antenna; (4) prosternites; (5) mesonotum & wing base. Pronotum 6–8: (6) H. timori (holotype); (7) H. ganglebaueri; (8) H. anceps.