Ozanaphothrips torridus, Mound & Masumoto, 2009

Mound, Laurence A. & Masumoto, Masami, 2009, Australian Thripinae of the Anaphothrips genus-group (Thysanoptera), with three new genera and thirty-three new species, Zootaxa 2042 (1), pp. 1-76 : 69-70

Ozanaphothrips torridus sp. n.

(Figs 208–210)

Female macroptera. Bicoloured, body and legs mainly yellow, head, pterothorax and abdominal segments VIII–X light brown, pronotum with faint brown markings; antennal segments II and VI–VIII brown; fore wings pale to very weakly shaded. Head projecting slightly in front of eyes (Fig. 209), vertex scarcely swollen over base of antennal segment I; fore ocellus reduced; ocellar setae pair I slightly anterior to II, pair III close together between posterior ocelli; eyes large, cheeks straight. Antennal segment IV with simple sensorium, IV–V with few weak microtrichia; pedicel of III slightly swollen. Pronotum trapezoidal, with transverse sculptured lines, discal setae small; 6 posteromarginal setae, pair S8 twice as long as minor setae. Mesonotum with sculptured lines, median pair of setae wide apart and distant from posterior margin. Metascutum weakly reticulate medially (Fig. 210), median setae arise medially, no MCS; metascutellum with sculpture and pair of setae. Mesothoracic furca without spinula. Fore wing first vein with 7 setae on basal half and 2 setae distally, second vein with 5 setae; clavus with 5 veinal setae. Abdominal tergites fully reticulate, I–VIII with broad craspedum (Fig. 208); campaniform sensilla close to posterior margin; tergite IX MD setae long. Sternites without craspeda, marginal setae arise at margin, including S1 on VII; 2 discal setae on sternite II, 3 setae on III, increasing to about 10 on VII.

Measurements (holotype, in microns). Body length 1280. Head, length 110; width across eyes 110. Pronotum, length 150; maximum width 160. Fore wing, length 640; first vein longest seta in basal row 20. Tergite IV S1 setae 10. Tergite IX, MD setae 50; PM S1 setae 85. Tergite X PM S1 setae 85. Antennal segments III–VIII, 30, 27, 27, 45, 10, 10.

Female microptera. Similar in colour and sculpture to macroptera; head without ocelli; fore wing lobe shorter than median length of mesonotum; mesonotum transverse, reticulate, median pair of setae distant from posterior margin, with two pairs of campaniform sensilla; metascutum weakly reticulate, with 4 setae medially, no MCS.

Specimens examined. Holotype female macroptera. Northern Territory, Darwin, Humpty Doo , from Callitris intratropica , 15.v.1999 ( LAM 3707 ).

Paratypes: Three female macropterae taken with holotype. Western Australia, 150km south of Broome, one female microptera from Cenchrus echinatus (Poaceae) , 3.iii.2005.

Comments. Although the macropterae were taken from Callitris trees, this thrips probably breeds on grasses or sedges. In most details of its structure it resembles O. perotis , although the sternal marginal setae arise on the margins of these sclerites. However, there are undescribed species of Thripinae on grasses in northern Australia that are also closely similar in structure, but have two pairs of prominent pronotal posteroangular setae. The microptera of O. torridus is interesting in that despite the lack of ocelli a very small wing lobe is present, in contrast to the apterae of two species described above. One further macropterous female that possibly represents this species has been seen from Bowen, Queensland (in QDPI, Brisbane).