Dolichothrips eriae, Mound & Okajima, 2015

Mound, Laurence A. & Okajima, Shûji, 2015, Taxonomic studies on Dolichothrips (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripinae), pollinators of Macaranga trees in Southeast Asia (Euphorbiaceae), Zootaxa 3956 (1), pp. 79-96 : 85-87

Dolichothrips eriae sp.n.

( Figs 3 , 11 , 17, 25 )

Female macroptera: Body and legs brown, femora and tibiae brown but fore tibiae fading to yellow at apex and mid tibiae with extreme apex yellow; tarsi yellow; antennal segments III–VI yellow, VII weakly shaded at apex, VIII light brown; major setae light brown, tergite IX setae pale; fore wing clear, weakly shaded on clavus and around sub-basal setae.

Head longer than wide, constricted at base; without sculpture between ocelli, but rest of vertex transversely striate ( Fig. 3 ); po setae finely acute, almost as long as dorsal eye length, arising laterally; maxillary stylets retracted almost to postocular setae, weakly V-shaped in position, about one third of head width apart medially with prominent maxillary bridge; mouth cone long and pointed, extending between prosternal basantra; maxillary palps about 7 times as long as wide. Antennae 8-segmented; segment III with 3 slender sense cones about as long as segment width, IV with 4 sense cones; VIII narrowed to base.

Pronotum sculptured across entire surface ( Fig. 3 ); major setae relatively short, apices capitate; notopleural sutures complete. Fore femora slightly swollen, inner margin with row of 6 or 7 small dark tubercles; fore tarsal tooth stout, almost half as long as tarsal width. Prosternal basantra well-developed; ferna large; mesopresternum of two triangles extending toward mid-line but not joining; mesoeusternal anterior margin broadly rounded; metathoracic sternopleural sutures not developed. Mesonotum with median longitudinal division scarcely one third as long as this sclerite, lateral setae minute and acute. Metanotum medially with sculpture forming narrow longitudinal parallel, concentric, reticulation, median setae acute ( Fig. 11 ). Fore wings almost parallel sided, subbasal setae S1 and S2 with weakly capitate apices, S3 pointed; with about 7 duplicated cilia.

Pelta broadly triangular with very weak sculpture, campaniform sensilla present; tergites II–VII without an additional pair of sigmoid setae anterolateral to wing retaining setae ( Fig. 25 ); tergite IX setae finely acute, longer than tube; anal setae longer than tube. Sternites with median pair of marginal setae long and slender, arising submarginally; about 16 small discal setae in irregular transverse row across each sternite.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 1900. Head, length 220; width across cheeks 150; po setae 75. Pronotum, length 155; median width 210; major setae, am 30, aa 20, ml 30, epim 40, pa 40. Mesonotal lateral setae 12. Fore wing, length 720; sub-basal setae 35, 40, 65. Tergite IV lateral setae 70, 35. Tergite IX setae S1 180, S2 180. Tube length 150. Antennal segments III–VIII length 55, 55, 45, 50, 40, 25.

Specimens examined. EAST MALAYSIA, SARAWAK, Lambir Hills National Park , holotype female, from Macaranga gigantea , 22.ix.2011 (Eri Yamasaki), in BMNH .

Paratypes: from same locality as holotype ; 3 females taken with holotype; 2 females from flowering male bud of Macaranga gigantea , 2.vi.2006, 1female from female flower of Macaranga gigantea , 15.vi.2006, 3 females from male bud (or flower) of Macaranga hosei (= pseudopruinosa), 29.vi.2006, 1 female, from female flower of Macaranga hosei (= pseudopruinosa), 4.vii.2006, 1 female from male flower of Macaranga hosei (= pseudopruinosa), 10.vii.2006, (Chikako Ishida); SARAWAK, Jalan Borneo Hts , 2 females from Macaranga gigantea , 12.vi.2000 (Ute Moog 00/061). SABAH, Kota Kinabalu , 5 females from Macaranga gigantea , 27.vi.2008.

Comments. Within the genus Dolichothrips this species is remarkable for a row of tubercles on the fore femora that are similar to those found in the gall-invading species of the genus Androthrips . It is similar to chikakoae in having the pronotum strongly sculptured, and the mesonotum with minute lateral setae.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Dolichothrips species, head & pronotum. (1) chikakoae sp. n.; (2) crassusensus; (3) eriae sp. n.; (4) reuteri; (5) longicollis; (6) franae sp. n.

FIGURES 7 – 16. Dolichothrips species. Head & pronotum 7 – 9: (7) macarangai; (8) fialae sp. n.; (9) utae sp. n. Mesonotum and metanotum 10 – 15: (10) chikakoae sp. n.; (11) eriae sp. n.; (12) fialae sp. n.; (13) utae sp. n.; (14) franae sp. n.; (15) reuteri; (16) indicus mesonotum and pelta.

FIGURES 17 – 33. Dolichothrips species. (17) eriae sp. n. fore leg; (18) chikakoae sp. n. pelta, tergites II – III; (19) crassusensus tergites II – IV; (20) fialae sp. n. pelta, tergites II – III; (21) indicus (nesius holotype) tergites II – III; (22) indicus Syntype tergites II – IV; (23) indicus from Mo’orea, pelta, tergites II – III; (24) franae sp. n. tergites II – III. Pelta and tergites II – III 25 – 29: (25) eriae sp. n.; (26) longicollis; (27) macarangai; (28) utae sp. n.; (29) reuteri. Male pseudovirga 30 – 33: (30) fialae sp. n.; (31) longicollis; (32) macarangai; (33) reuteri.