Hoplothrips orientalis (Ananthakrishnan)

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 : 312-314

Hoplothrips orientalis (Ananthakrishnan)

( Figs 39 , 52 )

Carathrips orientalis Ananthakrishnan, 1969: 179 .

Female macroptera. Body, femora and antennae dark brown with basal half of antennal segment III yellow; mid and hind tibiae yellowish brown at base; tarsi yellow; fore wings shaded, darker toward apex; major setae pale. Head sculptured dorsally; postocular setae long, acute; maxillary stylets retracted to compound eyes and close together medially. Antennal segments III–VII each with a distinct pedicel, sense cones on segment III long, acute, the inner one curved ( Fig. 39 ), 3 on III, 4 on IV; VIII with pedicel sometimes indistinct. Three pairs of pronotal major setae long, acute, but aa short and am minute. Mesopresternum transverse, often eroded medially; metathoracic sternopleural sutures present. Fore tarsal tooth present. Fore wings with 7–13 duplicated cilia. Pelta usually bellshaped, recessed into concave anterior margin of tergite II; tergites II–VII each with 2 pairs of wing-retaining setae ( Fig. 52 ); tergite IX posteromarginal setae bluntly acute, more than half as long as tube.

Female microptera. Antennal sense cones smaller, less acute, inner sense cone on III not curved; wing lobe with 1 or 2 pairs of acute setae; tergites II–VII each with 2 pairs of curved wing-retaining setae. Male microptera. Similar to female but sternite VIII with a transverse pore plate extending posterolaterally of spiracles; sternites III–VII with areas of complex sculpture laterally; tergite IX posteromarginal setae S2 short, stout. Large males with fore tarsal tooth larger; fore femora swollen; pronotum elongate, major setae longer; a few largest males with head ventrally bearing a horn-like tubercle between interocular setae.

Specimens studied. [micropterae except where stated] Queensland, Glasshouse Mts, 1 male from dead wood, 4.ix.2012; Atherton , 1 female from dead branch, 1.viii.2004 ; Brisbane , Mt Glorious, 1 male from rotting branch, 9.iii.2006 . Australian Capital Territory , Oakey Hill, 2 females from Eucalyptus blakeleyi dead twigs, 21.iv.2011 ; Black Mountain , 1 female macroptera, 9 females, 10 males from Acacia dead branch, 30.iv.2011 . New South Wales , Windellama, 1 female, 1 male from dead branches, 4.vi.2011 . Lord Howe Island , 1 male macroptera; 4 females, 5 males with larvae from old dead branches, 24.xi.1996 ; 2 male macropterae from dead branches, 26.xii.2001; 15 female macropterae, 10 males, 1 female from dead twigs, 25.xii.2011. Norfolk Island, 5 female and 5 male macropterae; 7 female mic. from dead twigs, xii.2012 ; 6 females, 1 male from dead branch, 30.xi.2014. Tasmania , Buckland, 1 male from dead branch, 27.xi.2010 . New Zealand, Coromandel Peninsula , 1 male from rotten branch, 13.ii.1979 . New Caledonia, La Foa , 3 female macropterae, 3 females, 1 male from dead wood, 1-3.iv.2012 .

Comments. This is a typical member the H. fungi complex, and is closely related to H. fungi , H. karnyi and H. japonicus . It is distinguished only because antennal segments IV–VI are uniformly brown rather than pale at the base ( Mound 2017). Described originally from India in association with twigs of Rubus infested by rust fungus, this species was subsequently recorded from New Zealand ( Mound & Walker, 1986), Lord Howe Island ( Mound 1998), Norfolk Island ( Mound & Wells 2015), and Japan, Ryukyu Islands ( Okajima, 2006). The records given above indicate that this species is widespread in eastern Australia.

Figures

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 46–52. Hoplothrips species—metanotum & pelta. (46) bellingeni; (47) corticis; (48) giganteus; (49) lamingtoni; (50) melanurus; (51) oakeyi; (52) orientalis.