Hoplothrips wrightae, Mound & Wang & Tree, 2020

Mound, Laurence A., Wang, Jun & Tree, Desley J., 2020, The genus Hoplothrips in Australia (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae), with eleven new species, Zootaxa 4718 (3), pp. 301-323 : 322

Hoplothrips wrightae sp. n.

( Figs 21, 22, 28 , 38 , 59 )

Male microptera. Body and legs brownish, tube darker medially, tarsi paler, antennae brown, base of antennal segments III–V yellow ( Fig. 38 ); major setae pale. Head with weak transverse sculpture lines basally; genae sub-parallel and a little narrowed basally; compound eyes small, less than one eighth of head length; postocular setae pointed, much longer than half the distance between their bases; maxillary stylets retracted to eyes and close together medially ( Fig. 22 ). Antennal segment III with 3 or 2 sense cones, IV with 4 or 3 sense cones, VIII narrowed to base ( Fig. 38 ). Pronotum without sculptures; major setae pointed, am small, ml longest. Mesonotum with transverse polygonal sculpture, lateral setae small; metanotum reticulate bilaterally, median setae finely pointed. Prosternal basantra absent, ferna almost meeting medially; mesopresternum eroded completely; mesoeusternal anterior margin entire ( Fig. 28 ). Fore tarsal tooth sharp, as long as tarsal width ( Fig. 22 ). Fore wing lobes with two long sub-basal setae. Pelta triangular with slender lateral lobes; tergites II–VII each with one pair of weak sigmoid wing-retaining setae; tergite VIII median setae pointed; tergite IX setae S1 longer than tube and pointed, S2 short; anal setae shorter than tube; sternite VIII pore plate transverse and no wider than half of sternite width ( Fig. 59 ); sternites VI–VII with specialised reticulation laterally.

Measurements (holotype male in microns). Body length 2860. Head, length 218; width 200; postocular setae 125, distance between their bases 158, postocellar setae 25, distance between their bases 55. Pronotum, length 275; median width 363; major setae am 23, aa 100, ml 163, epim 153, pa 155. Metanotum median setae 40. Tergite IV median marginal setae 180; tergite VIII median setae 100, tergite IX setae S1 223, S2 80. Tube length 203. Anal setae 158. Antennal segments III–VIII length (width) 80 (40), 70 (39), 67 (38), 63 (35), 57 (28), 65 (22).

Female microptera. Similar to male microptera but larger; fore femora and tarsal tooth smaller; tergite IX S2 setae much longer.

Measurements (in microns). Body length 3270. Head, length 225; width 223; postocular setae 120, postocellar setae 25. Pronotum, length 218; median width 338; major setae am 23, aa 100, ml 180, epim 160, pa 170. Tergite VIII median setae 108, Tergite IX setae S1 258, S2 213. Tube length 218, anal setae 150. Antennal segments III–VIII length 80, 75, 74, 70, 60, 68.

Female macroptera. Similar to female microptera, but compound eyes multifaceted, ocelli bigger ( Fig. 21 ); fore wing developed with about 10 duplicated cilia, tergites II–VII each with the single pair of sigmoid wing-retaining setae stronger than in microptera.

Measurements (in microns). Body length 3040. Head, length 237; width 225; postocular setae 105. Fore wing length 107, sub-basal setae S1 82, S2 115.

Specimens studied. Holotype male microptera. Queensland, Carnarvon Station, White Stallion Springs , from Leptospermum leaf litter, 15.x.2014, S.G. Wright, in Queensland Museum, Brisbane.

Paratypes: 3 male, 4 female micropterae, 5 female macropterae, taken with holotype; same locality , 1 female microptera from leaf litter, 8.x.2014.

Comments. This species shares with H. poultoni the unusually long setae on tergite IX that are longer than the length of the tube. However, the males have a small, transverse pore plate on sternite VIII that does not extend across the sternite ( Fig. 59 ), and in micropterae the antennal segments are more slender than in H. poultoni .

Figures

FIGURES 21–30. Hoplothrips species. Head 21–22 (21) wrightae female; (22) wrightae male. Prosternum 23–30 (23) bellingeni; (24) fungosus; (25) lihongae; (26) lowdeni male; (27) tarsus; (28) wrightae; (29) reedi; (30) woodsi (B–basantra; F–ferna; M–mesoeusternum anterior margin).

FIGURES 31–45. Hoplothrips species antennae. (31) bellingeni; (32) corticis (III–V); (33) giganteus; (34) lihongae; (35) lowdeni; (36) nelsoni; (37) oakeyi; (38) wrightae; (39) orientalis (III–V); (40) poultoni; (41) reedi; (42) semicaecus female macroptera; (43) semicaecus female microptera; (44) semicaecus male microptera; (45) woodsi.

FIGURES 53–66. Hoplothrips species. Metanotum & pelta 53–54 (53) oudeus; (54) woodsi. (55) tarsus pelta. (56) lamingtoni tergite II. Male sternite VIII pore plate 57–64 (57) corticis; (58) lihongae; (59) wrightae; (60) oakeyi; (61) reedi; (62) melanurus (VII–VIII); (63) poultoni; (64) woodsi. Male sternites 65–66 (65) giganteus (VII); (66) melanurus (V–VI).