Hoplandrothrips abrasi, Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2013

Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2013, Fungus-feeding thrips from Australia in the worldwide genus Hoplandrothrips (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae), Zootaxa 3700 (3), pp. 476-494 : 479

Hoplandrothrips abrasi sp.n.

( Figs 1, 4 )

Male macroptera. Body, legs and antennae brown, base of antennal segment III yellow; all major setae pale; fore wings pale.

Head with cheeks convex, weakly reticulate dorsally, ventrally with 3 pairs of longer setae; maxillary stylets retracted to postocular setae, about one-sixth of head width apart medially ( Fig. 1 ); postocular setae wide apart, capitate, shorter than eye length; mouth cone short and pointed. Antennae 8-segmented; III with 2 sensoria, IV with 4 sensoria; VII and VIII broad at base, non-pedicellate.

Pronotum with weak sculpture near posterior margin, median apodeme weak; 4 pairs of capitate major setae, am setae no larger than discal setae; basantra absent, chitinous islets not large; mesopresternum divided into 2 lateral triangles and large median area. Fore femora and tibiae slender, fore tarsal tooth large, about as long as tarsal width. Mesonotum weakly sculptured, lateral setae small and pointed. Metanotum with no sculpture medially ( Fig. 4 ), median setae acute and arising on anterior third of sclerite. Fore wings broad, parallel sided, sub-basal setae S1 and S2 capitate, S3 acute; with 8 duplicated cilia.

Pelta bell-shaped; tergites II–VII with 2 pairs of wing retaining setae, no lateral discal setae, lateral setae S1 weakly capitate, S2 bluntly pointed; tergite IX setae S1 weakly capitate, S2 blunt, intermediate seta shorter than S2. Sternite V with 6 discal setae, VIII with transverse pore plate medially.

Measurements (holotype male in microns). Body length 1470. Head, length 185; width across cheeks 150; postocular setae 35. Pronotum, length 90; width 175; major setae—am 5, aa 20, ml 10, epim 25, pa 25. Fore wing, length 600; sub-basal setae 20, 25, 50. Tergite IX setae, S1 75; S2 40; S3 75. Tube length 100. Antennal segments III–VIII length 45, 50, 50, 45, 40, 20.

Female macroptera. Similar to male in colour and structure, except slightly larger; fore tarsal tooth very small; mesopresternum three segments sometimes weakly united; tergites with 1 or 2 small lateral discal setae; tergite IX setae S1 and S2 weakly capitate; sternite V with 10 discal setae.

Measurements (paratype female in microns). Body length 1700. Head length 210; postocular setae 35. Pronotum, length 100; width 210. Tergite IX setae, S1 70; S2 75. Tube length 100.

Specimens examined. Holotype male macroptera, Tasmania, St Helens, Binalong Bay, from dead Eucalyptus , 10.xii.2012 (DJ Tree 1580).

Paratypes: 1 male, 3 females taken with holotype.

Comments. This species does not seem closely related to any of the others discussed here. The broad bases to the two terminal antennal segments are unique amongst the Hoplandrothrips species from Australia, the slight separation of the maxillary stylets occurs among these Australian species only in ibisci , and the presence of only two sensoria on the third antennal segment is also relatively unusual.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Hoplandrothrips from Australia. Head & pronotum 1 – 3: (1) abrasi sp. n.; (2) bartlei sp. n.; (3) brunneicinctus sp. n. Meso & metanotum, pelta & tergite II, 4 – 8: (4) abrasi sp. n.; (5) bartlei sp. n.; (6) brunneicinctus sp. n. (7) coorongi antennal segments I – IV. (8) brunneicinctus sp. n. male mesopresternum.