Deplorothrips howei, Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2016

Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2016, Australian mycophagous species of the genus Deplorothrips (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae), Zootaxa 4208 (3), pp. 201-220 : 213

Deplorothrips howei sp.n.

( Figs 10 , 23 , 33, 41, 45 )

Male microptera: Body and all femora brown, all tibiae and tarsi yellow; antennal segment I brown, II paler at apex, III yellow but weakly shaded at apex, IV with yellow pedicel, V–VIII light brown.

Antennal segment VIII slightly narrower at base than VII at apex ( Fig. 23 ), IV–VII with distinct pedicel; III with 2 (rarely 3) sense cones, IV with 2 or 3 sense cones (left and right antennae of holotype differ). Head scarcely longer than wide ( Fig. 10 ), ocelli absent, cheeks with several weak setae; vertex without sculpture except at posterior margin; po setae long and capitate; maxillary pillars about 45 microns long and the levers about 35 microns, stylets wide apart, retracted into head half-way to level of po setae, with weak maxillary bridge. Pronotum transverse with weak median longitudinal apodeme, without sculpture except at posterior margin; am setae minute, remaining setae capitate. Mesonotum with weak transverse reticulation, lateral setal pair minute. Metanotum without sculpture, median setal pair acute. Fore tarsal tooth as long as tarsal width, fore tibia with stout subapical tubercle ( Fig. 45 ). Wing lobe present, with or without one small capitate seta. Prosternal ferna meeting medially, mesopraesternum eroded to three small sclerites. Pelta D-shaped, weakly sculptured; tergites with no sculpture, II– VII with 2 pairs of very small straight wing-retaining setae, lateral major setae long and capitate; tergite IX setae S1 capitate, S2 short and pointed. Sternites III–V with faint areas of reticulation anterolaterally, VIII with transverse pore plate ( Fig. 41 ). Large males with cheek setae stouter and more numerous, fore femora considerably enlarged, metanotum with a longitudinally sculptured area posterior to a triangular area with no sculpture ( Fig. 33 ), mesoeusternal anterior margin narrow and angulate.

Measurements (holotype male in microns). Body length 1400. Head, length 155; width 145; po setae 70; longest cheek seta 12. Pronotum, length 110; width 190; major setae—am 5, aa 40, ml 35, epim 45, pa 45. Fore wing length 40. Tergite IX setae S1 70, S2 35. Sternite VIII pore plate dimensions 50 x 7. Tube length 90. Antennal segments III–VIII length 45, 43, 45, 40, 35, 25.

Female microptera: similar to male, fore tarsal tooth slender; tergite IX setae S2 long and pointed.

Female macroptera: essentially similar to microptera, except antennal segments III and IV each with three sense cones, fore wings with two capitate sub-basal setae and six duplicated cilia, tergites with two pairs of sigmoid wing-retaining setae.

Material studied. Holotype male microptera, Lord Howe Island, Intermediate Hill, from dead branches, 26.xii.2011 ( LAM 5545 ).

Paratypes (micropterae except as noted): Lord Howe Island, 1 female macroptera, 1 female, 2 males taken with holotype ; Soldiers Creek , 9 females, 4 males, from dead twigs, 21–24.xi.1996 ; Rocky Run , 2 males from dead branch, 24.xii.2007, 1 male from Malesia, 23.xii.2007 ; Stevens Trail , 1 female macroptera, 3 females, 1 male, 26.xii.2001 ; Settlement Beach , 2 female macropterae, 22.xii.2001 . New South Wales, Nowra , 2 females, 2 males from dead twigs, 14.iv.2001 ; Narooma , 1 male from dead Eucalyptus leaves, 28.xii.2010 ; Crystal Creek , 1 male from dead leaves, 23.xii.2006 .

Comments. The stylets of this species, and also of minaei , are intermediate in position between the low, wideapart, V-shaped condition of previously described members of Deplorothrips and the deeply retracted condition described here in capitalis , chydaeus and retis . Despite this, howei shares most character states with other members of the genus, including antennal segment VIII broad at the base, and in males the presence of a tubercle at the inner apex of the fore tibiae, and a small, transverse pore plate on sternite VIII. This pore plate is broken into two, or even three, segments in a few males, a condition also reported in Deplorothrips bassus from New Zealand.

Figures

FIGURES 8 – 13. Deplorothrips species, head and thorax. (8) chydaeus female; (9) capitalis holotype; (10) howei holotype; (11) minaei female; (12) retis holotype; (13) deuae female.

FIGURES 20 – 32. Deplorothrips species, antennae. (20) diaphorus, macroptera, segments IV – VIII ventral; (21) chydaeus; (22) deuae (holotype); (23) howei; (24) makrus; (25) minaei; (26) mongai; (27) norfuki; (28) paspalus; (29) regina; (30) retis; (31) virgulatus; (32) villosus.

FIGURES 33 – 47. Deplorothrips species, metanotum and male sternites. (33) howei, large male, meso and metanotum. (34) regina, metanotum and tergites I – II. (35) retis, metanotum and pelta. (36) villosus, large male, metanotum and tergites I – II. (37) norfuki, holotype metanotum and tergites I – II. Male sternite VIII pore plate 38 – 44: (38) chydaeus; (39) deuae; (40) diaphorus; (41) howei; (42) makrus; (43) mongai; (44) villosus. (45) howei, male fore tarsus & tibia. Male sternites V – VI 46 – 47: (46) capitalis; (47) diaphorus.