Lissothrips taverneri, Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2015

Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2015, Species of Lissothrips and Williamsiella from mosses and lichens in Australia and New Zealand (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae), Zootaxa 3946 (3), pp. 361-373 : 369-370

Lissothrips taverneri sp.n.

( Figs 6 , 12 , 21 , 26 )

Female microptera: Body, legs and antennae light brown, tarsi paler, tibiae variously yellowish brown, pedicel of antennal segment III yellow, tube darker brown, major setae pale. Head as wide as long, faintly reticulate posterolaterally ( Fig. 12 ); compound eyes small, with about 12 large facets dorsally, narrowed ventrally to a single facet; po setae long and bluntly pointed; maxillary stylets retracted almost to compound eyes, about one fifth of head width apart medially. Antennae 8-segmented, III small with no sense cones ( Fig. 6 ), IV with 2 large sense cones, VIII slender and narrowed to basal pedicel. Pronotum transverse, without sculpture, notopleural sutures usually incomplete; major setae all long, am and aa bluntly pointed, ml, epim and pa all finely pointed. Fore tarsus with no tooth. Mesonotum weakly reticulate on anterior half, lateral setae minute; fore wing lobe very small with 1 blunt seta ( Fig. 21 ); metanotum almost without sculpture, median setae wide apart small and fine. Prosternal ferna weakly developed, hidden beneath mouth cone; basantra bluntly pointed and meeting medially; mesopresternum transverse, complete ( Fig. 26 ); anterior margin of mesoeusternum transverse; metathoracic sternopleural sutures not developed. Abdomen with pelta irregularly D-shaped with posterior margin eroded, campaniform sensilla present ( Fig. 21 ); tergites with median setae minute, with 2 pairs of long finely pointed setae laterally; tergite IX setae finely acute and longer than tube; tube unusually short, anal setae longer than tube. Sternites with about 8 small discal setae, median marginal setae longer than lateral pair.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 1330. Head, length 125; width 130; po setae 65. Pronotum, length 90; width 175; setae—am 43, aa 35, ml 60, epim 65, pa 75. Fore wing lobe 15. Tergite IX setae S1 130. Tube length 65. Antennal segments III–VIII length, 25, 30, 35, 40, 35, 30.

Male microptera. Very similar to female, but smaller; tergite IX setae S2 short and stout; sternite VIII with no pore plate.

Measurements (paratype male in microns). Body length 850. Pronotum, length 80; width 150; setae—am 30, aa 20, ml 45, epim 50, pa 45. Fore wing lobe 10. Tergite IX setae S1 115; S2 15. Tube length 60.

Material studied. Holotype female microptera, Australia, Norfolk Island, Red Road in National Park, from dead Elaeodendron curtipendulum with lichen, 24.xii.2013 (LAM 5890).

Paratypes: 9 females, 5 males taken with holotype; same site, 1 female from dead Araucaria heterophylla , 20.xii.2013; Prince Philip Drive, 2 females, 4 males from dead Lagunaria patersonia branches, 26.xi.2014, same site, 2 females, 29.xi.2014; Mt Bate, 1 female from dead branch, 24.xii.2013, same site, 2 males from mossy dead branch, 30.xi.2014; Palm Grove Track, 1 female from old dead branch, 23.xii.2012.

Comments. This species is distinguished from the others that are similar to gersoni by the presence of a small fore wing rudiment, the rather shorter third antennal segment, the complete mesopresternum, the large pelta, and the relatively short tube. The specific epithet recognises the extensive contributions by Neil Taverner to the Norfolk Island Quarantine Survey between 2012 and 2015.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. Lissothrips species from Australia—antennae. (1) corticosus; (2) discus; (3) dentatus; (4) hypni; (5) tallagandai; (6) taverneri; (7) thomsonae.

FIGURES 8 – 15. Lissothrips species from Australia—head and pronotum. (8) corticosus; (9) discus; (10) hypni; (11) gersoni; (12) taverneri; (13) tallagandai; (14) discus; (15) thomsonae.

FIGURES 16 – 21. Lissothrips species from Australia—meso & metanotum and pelta. (16) corticosus; (17); dentatus; (18) discus; (19) hypni; (20) tallagandai; (21) taverneri.

FIGURES 22 – 28. Lissothrips species from Australia. (22) thomsonae meso & metanotum and pelta. (23) hypni male tergites VIII-X. Thoracic sternites 24 – 26: (24) corticosus, (25) tallagandai, (26) taverneri. Male sternite VIII 27 – 28: (27) tallagandai, (28) thomsonae.