Psalidothrips howei, Wang & Mound & Tree, 2019

Wang, Jun, Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2019, Leaf-litter thrips of the genus Psalidothrips (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripidae) from Australia, with fifteen new species, Zootaxa 4686 (1), pp. 53-73 : 62

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4686.1.2
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:A3479CF9-E32A-470D-8F26-6A1A64318564
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/0394E94C-FF84-5C59-FF30-FC961E53FF6C
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Psalidothrips howei
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Psalidothrips howei View in CoL sp.n.

( Figs 5 View FIGURES 1–9 , 22, 26 View FIGURES 19–37 , 42 View FIGURES 38–49 )

Female aptera. Body bicoloured, head, thorax, abdominal segment IX and tube brownish yellow, abdominal segments I–VIII dark brown; legs brown; antennal segments increasingly brown from base to apex. Head without sculpture, narrowed to base, and genae constricted behind eyes with strong postocular apodeme; compound eyes multifaceted, with two enlarged facets posterolaterally; postocular setae acute, longer than dorsal eye length; ocelli absent; postocellar setae minute; maxillary stylets more than one-third of head width apart, retracted about half way to postocular setae ( Fig. 5 View FIGURES 1–9 ). Antennal segments III–IV each with two sense cones, III relatively slender, IV–VI each with pedicel, VII–VIII with base slightly narrowed; segment III longer than IV, VIII as long as VII. Pronotum without sculpture and without median longitudinal line; ml, epl and pa well-developed, aa and am minute; Mesonotum broad, eroded at anterior margin, a pair concave at posterior margin; Metanotum not sculptured, median setae small; mesopresternum transverse but variably eroded ( Fig. 22 View FIGURES 19–37 ). Fore tarsal tooth absent. Pelta faintly sculptured at anterior margin, without lobes, without campaniform sensilla, posteromarginal almost straight; tergites almost unsculptured; tergites II–VII with wing-retaining setae undeveloped, median marginal setae apex blunt; tergite VIII median setae apex blunt; tergite IX setae S1 clearly shorter than tube and apex blunt. Anal setae as long as tube.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 1856. Head, length 199; width 170; postocular setae 68, distance between their bases 139; postocellar setae 4, distance between their bases 68. Pronotum, length 143; median width 213; major setae am 0, aa 5, ml 48, epim 49, pa 68. Tergite IV median marginal setae 94; tergite VIII median setae 53, tergite IX setae S1 99, S2 82. Tube length 138; anal setae 135 Antennal segments III–VIII length 68,58,56,56,43,44.

Male aptera. Antennal segment I and II yellowish, pronotum with a weak median longitudinal line, fore tarsus with tooth, sternite VIII with transverse and arched pore plate, extending almost to lateral margins of sternite but sometimes discontinuous medially ( Fig. 26 View FIGURES 19–37 ).

Measurements (in microns). Body length 1510. Head, length 162; width 150; postocular setae 56, postocellar setae 5. Pronotum, length 128; median width 197; major setae am 0, aa 5, ml 24, epim 41, pa 53. Tergite VIII median setae 46, tergite IX setae S1 82, S2 70. Tube length 104. Antennal segments III–VIII length 51, 41, 41, 39, 32, 39.

Specimens studied. Holotype female aptera, Lord Howe Island , Soldiers Creek, 23.xi.1996 ( LAM 3055 ), in ANIC.

Paratypes: 13 females, 1 male collected with holotype at base of native grass and on dead branches; Smoking Tree Ridge , 6 females, 3 males from base of native grass, 23.xi.1996, same site and plants, 7 females, 7 males, 27.xii.2007 and 24.xii.2011. Intermediate Hill, 3 females, 3 males from dead Howea , 28.xii.2001, 2 females, 2 males from litter, 3.xii.2000; Rocky Run, 6 females, 1 male from base of grasses, 22.xii.2001; Erskine Valley , 5 females 2 males, xii.2000 and xii.2007; Mt. Lidgberg , 4 females, 3 males, xi–xii. 2001.

Comments. This species has been taken widely across Lord Howe Island, often at the base of grasses. It is pre- sumably endemic to this island, and is probably derived from a mainland species such as tritus with which it shares the strong postocular apodeme and enlarged posterolateral eye facets. It is unusual in its bicoloured body and broad pelta shape.