Hoplandrothrips ibisci, Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2013

Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2013, Fungus-feeding thrips from Australia in the worldwide genus Hoplandrothrips (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae), Zootaxa 3700 (3), pp. 476-494 : 488-490

Hoplandrothrips ibisci sp.n.

( Figs 22, 25 )

Male microptera. Body, legs and antennae brown, except tibiae and tarsi yellow, also antennal segment III mainly yellow with apex shaded, IV brown with base paler; major setae pale, coxal setae darker.

Head almost without sculpture dorsally, with one pair of long setae ventrally; cheeks weakly convex, with one or more setae; postocular setae wide apart, capitate, longer than eye; maxillary stylets retracted to postocular setae, about one fifth of head width apart ( Fig. 22 ); mouth cone pointed, not extending across prosternum. Antennal segment III with 2 (or 3) sensoria, IV with 3 (or 2) sensoria; VII with distinct pedicel, VIII broad at base.

Pronotum without sculpture, with median longitudinal apodeme; am setae acute, no larger than discal setae, remaining 4 pairs of setae capitate; basantra absent, chitinous islets large; anterior margin of mesoeusternum narrow and angulate, mesopresternum formed of two small triangles; sternopleural sutures well-developed. Fore femora swollen, inner apex without tubercles; fore tibiae slender; fore tarsal tooth as long as tarsal width. Mesonotal lateral setae minute. Metanotum without sculpture ( Fig. 25 ), median setae acute, arising on anterior half of sclerite. Fore wing lobe very small, without setae.

Pelta broad at base ( Fig. 25 ); tergites without sculpture and few minor setae, wing retaining setae weak or straight, 2 pairs only on VI–VII, lateral setae S1 and S2 slender, capitate; tergite IX setae S1 capitate, S2 blunt, intermediate seta as long as S2. Sternites II–V with pair of very weak reticulate areas anterolaterally; VIII with small, circular pore plate medially.

Measurements (holotype male in microns). Body length 1600. Head, length 200; width across cheeks 155; po setae 80. Pronotal setae length: am 3, aa 70, ml 50, epim 60, pa 50. Fore wing length 60. Tergite IX setae: S1 75; S2 35; S3 100. Tube length 100. Antennal segments III–VIII length 60, 50, 55, 50, 45, 25.

Specimens examined. Holotype male, Queensland, Lamington, O’Reilly’s, from dead branches, 11.x.2006 (LAM4592).

Paratypes: same locality as holotype, 2 males from dead twigs, 9.x.2006.

Comments. Although clearly different from the other species considered here, because of the yellow tibiae, lack of sculpture dorsally, maxillary stylets one fifth of head with apart, and small circular pore plate on sternite VIII, there are problems in defining this species. Two of the specimens have two sensoria on antennal segment III, and three sensoria on segment IV. However, on the third specimen the right antenna has three small sensoria on segment III and three on segment IV, but the left antenna has two larger sensoria on both III and IV.

Figures

FIGURES 22 – 28. Hoplandrothrips from Australia. Head & pronotum 22 – 24: (22) ibisci sp. n.; (23) oreillyi sp. n.; (24) quadriconus. Meso & metanotum, pelta & tergite II, 25 – 26: (25) ibisci sp. n.; (26) quadriconus. Mesopresternum of xanthocnemis, 27 – 28: (27) female; (28) male.