Tenothrips keruing, Ng & Ain & Lau, 2019

Ng, Y. F., Ain, N. & Lau, K. H., 2019, A new species of Tenothrips pollinating Dipterocarpus sublamellatus in Malaysia, Zootaxa 4695 (4), pp. 397-400 : 399

Tenothrips keruing sp. n.

( Figs 1–8 )

Female macroptera. Body pale ( Fig.1 ), major pronotal setae brown; all legs yellow; antennal segments I–III completely pale, IV–V apical half shaded, VI–VIII uniformly shaded; fore wings uniformly pale. Antennae 8-segmented, segments III–IV with forked sense cone ( Fig. 6 ); antennal segment I without paired dorso-apical setae. Head wider than long; with faint transverse striations in front of first ocellus, ocellar area with irregular striations, vertex with fine transverse striations ( Fig 1 ); head with three pairs ocellar setae, pair III longest arising outside ocellar triangle; five pairs of short postocular setae arising in a row parallel to eye margin; compound eyes near anterior margins with a few pigmented facets. Pronotum as long as wide, with transverse striations ( Fig. 1 ); with more than 20 small scattered discal setae; 2 pairs of long posteroangular setae, posterior margin with 4 pairs of setae, pair I longest. Mesonotum with fine transverse striations; CPS present at anterior margin. Metanotum striate laterally, middle area irregularly reticulate; median setae stout, arising below anterior margin, further apart from each other than from lateral pair ( Fig 8 ). Meso- and metafurca without spinula but mesosternum with median longitudinal thickening ( Fig. 3 ). Fore wing first vein with 7 setae on basal half, 3 setae on distal half; second vein with 4 setae (2 at middle, 2 at apex); apical seta of clavus longest ( Fig. 4 ). Abdominal tergite I with transverse lines anteriorly, CPS close to posterior margin; tergites II–VII smooth almost no sculpture on median area mesad of setae pair II; ctenidia absent; tergite VIII with irregular group of microtrichia anteromesad of spiracle, posterior margin with short and irregular comb laterally ( Fig. 2 ); tergite IX with 2 pairs of CPS, mid-dorsal setae (S1) extending beyond apex of X. Pleurotergites without discal setae. Sternites III–VII without discal setae, 3 pairs of marginal setae; sternite VII posterior marginal setae long, S1 arising in front of posterior margin.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 1625. Head, length 120; width across eyes 140; ocellar setae III 20. Pronotum, length 160, width 170; posteroangular setae 90–110. Metanotum median setae 35. Fore wing length 750. Antennal length 290; segments III–VIII length 60, 50, 35, 50, 10, 10

Male macroptera. Body and fore wing similar to female; tergite IX with a pair (S4) of stout dark setae arising wide apart ( Fig. 5 ); sternites III–VII without pore plates.

Material studied. Holotype female: MALAYSIA, Pasoh Forest Reserve, Negeri Sembilan, on Dipterocarpus sublamellatus flowers ( Dipterocarpaceae ) at tree canopy (height 30m tall), 8–10.iv.2019 (Ng, Y.F. & Ain, N.) (in CISUKM). Paratypes: 13 females, 2 males, all collected with holotype (in CISUKM & ANIC).

Comments. This new species of Tenothrips is very different from the other species in the genus as follows: 1. Forewing second vein with 4 setae; 2. Mesonotum without a spinula; 3. Male abdominal tergite IX with a pair of stout setae; 4. Male abdominal sternites without any pore plates. According to Zhang et al. (2019), Tenothrips is not distinguished by any apomorphies, and its systematic significance remains unresolved. Similarly, the relationships of this new species are far from clear. The distinctive character states of the male are unusual within Tenothrips , and the generic position of the species should probably be re-considered when more materials and further species become available.

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. Tenothrips keruing sp. n. (1) Head and Pronotum; (2) Female abdominal tergites VII–IX; (3) Meso- and metasterna; (4) Sternites VI–VII, female; (5) Male abdominal tergites VIII–X; (6) Antennal segments I–VIII, female; (7) Fore wing; (8) Meso- and metanotum.