Desertathrips, Borbón, Carlos Manuel De, 2008

Borbón, Carlos Manuel De, 2008, Desertathrips chuquiraga gen. et sp. n. (Thysanoptera, Thripidae) from Argentina, Zootaxa 1751, pp. 25-34 : 29-30

Desertathrips gen. n.

Type-species Desertathrips chuquiraga sp.n.

Thripidae-Thripinae with females and males macropterous or micropterous. Antennae 9-segmented ( Fig.

4), sense cones on III and IV forked, IV–VI with few microtrichia. Head with three pairs of ocellar setae ( Fig. 5 ), pair III lateral to ocellar triangle; compound eyes with 6 pigmented facets; mouth cone long, extending between fore coxae; maxillary palps slender, 3-segmented. Pronotum with no long setae, dorsal surface with closely spaced transverse striae ( Fig. 6 ); prosternal ferna weak and not fused medially. Mesonotum transversely reticulate, with three pairs of setae, median pair not close to posterior margin ( Fig. 7 ). Metanotum irregularly reticulate, median setae near anterior margin; campaniform sensilla absent ( Fig. 8 ). Mesothoracic furcal spinula absent or very weakly developed, metathoracic furca without spinula. Tarsi 2-segmented. Forewing curving forward slightly at apex, first and second veins with setal rows irregular; scale with five veinal setae and one discal seta; fringe cilia wavy ( Fig. 9 ). Abdominal tergites with complete transverse sculpture and with smooth narrow craspedum on posterior margin, campaniform sensilla close to posterior margin; two pairs of tergal setae almost equal in size, median pair variable with distance between their bases about 1.0 to 1.5 times their length (Fig. 10); tergite VIII with posteromarginal comb of long fine microtrichia, laterally with toothed craspedum (Fig. 11); tergite X with longitudinal split dorsally (Fig. 12). Sternites without marginal craspedum, III–VII with three pairs of posteromarginal setae and transverse row of discal setae (Fig. 13); sternite II with two pairs of posteromarginal setae, and one or two discal setae. Males with glandular pore opening between sternites II and III (Fig. 14); tergite IX with two pairs of stout setae (Fig. 15).

Relationships. The type species of this genus appears to be near to Pseudothrips similis De Santis because of the 9-segmented antenna and presence of sternal discal setae. P. s i m i l i s should possibly be included in this new genus, but the only known specimen is in poor condition such that it is not possible to see if the sensoria on antennal segments III and IV are simple or forked. Moreover, the forewings of P. s i m i l i s have two continuous rows of setae on the forewings, and the inner posteroangular setae are longer than in the new species. Baileyothrips is similar in many character states to Desertathrips , but has four or five pairs of sternal marginal setae. Anaphothrips species resemble Desertathrips in lacking long setae on the pronotum. However, Anaphothrips species do not have a craspedum on the abdominal tergites, and males have a porous glandular area medially on the sternites ( Nakahara, 1995). The glandular opening between the second and third abdominal sternites in this new species is a character known in only a few genera, mainly from the Neotropics, including Ameranathrips, Apterothrips , Baileyothrips , Charassothrips , Enneothrips , Pseudothrips , Psydrothrips and Xerothrips ( Mound & Marullo, 1996) , but none of these have the combination of character states found in this new genus ( Table 2 ).

* Pseudothrip. similis may belong in another genus.

# Species with prominent pronotal posteroangular setae.

Figures

FIGURES 4 – 9. Desertathrips chuquiraga female. (4) Right antenna; (5) Head; (6) Pronotum; (7) Mesoscutum; (8) Metascutum; (9) Left forewing.

Tables

TABLE 2. New World Thripinae with glandular opening between sternites II – III of males. The number of species in each genus is indicated between parentheses.

Genus	Antennal segments	Sensoria on III Sternal discal & IV setae	Sternites with craspedum	Tergal craspe- dum
Ameranothrips (1 sp)	8	Forked Absent	Present	Present
Apterothrips (2 spp) Baileyothrips (2 spp)	8/9 8	Simple Absent Forked Present	Present Absent	Present Present
Charassothrips (4 spp)	7/8	Forked Absent	Absent	Present
Desertathrips (1 sp) Enneothrips (5 spp)	9 9	Forked Present Forked Absent	Absent Absent	Present Absent
Pseudothrips (6 spp)*	8/9	Forked Absent	Present/Absent	Present
Psydrothrips (2 spp)# Xerothrips (1 sp)#	9 8	Forked Present Forked Present	Absent Absent	Absent Absent