Mycterothrips mahvelatensis, Alavi, Jalil, Awal, Mehdi Modarres, Fekrat, Lida & Minaei, Kambiz, 2013

Alavi, Jalil, Awal, Mehdi Modarres, Fekrat, Lida & Minaei, Kambiz, 2013, The genus Mycterothrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in Iran, with three new species, Zootaxa 3718 (4), pp. 345-356 : 348-350

Mycterothrips mahvelatensis sp.n.

( Figs. 1–7 )

Female macroptera. Body and legs uniformly clear yellow; fore wings slightly shaded at base and middle along veins, with a white small marking just below the gap of basal setal row of first vein ( Fig. 1 ), setae shaded; antennal segment III with third apex pale brown, IV–VIII pale brown.

Head about 1.5 times as wide as long, three pairs of ocellar setae present, pair III situated between posterior ocelli and 2.5–3.2 times as long as distance between their bases; postocular setae I as long as others. Antennae 8- segmented, with forked sensoria on antennal segments III and IV, III usually subequal to VI ( Fig. 3 ).

Pronotum about 1.4 times as wide as long, anterior margin with four setae ( Fig. 2 ), posterior margin with 2–4 setae with about 14–18 discal setae, posteroangular setae I about as long as II ( Fig 2 ); Mesonotum with a pair CPS anteromedially, median pair of setae situated far from posterior margin ( Fig. 4 ); Metascutum weakly reticulated medially; median pair of setae situated near anterior margin; Meso- and metasternum with spinula. Fore wings upper vein with 7 basal and 2 distal setae, lower vein with 10–12 setae, clavus with 5 veinal setae and one discal seta ( Fig. 1 ).

Abdominal tergites without ciliate microtrichia on lines of sculpture ( Figs. 5–6 ); tergite II with three lateral marginal setae ( Fig 5 ); tergum VIII with setae S4 minute, with complete posteromarginal comb, microtrichia fine and long; tergite IX with anterior pairs of CPS only ( Fig. 6 ); sternite I with 0–3 (usually 2) vestigial setae between the hind coxa; sternites I–IV without discal setae, V with 0–2, VI with 2 and VII with 4–6 discal setae ( Fig. 7 ); median pair of marginal setae on sternite VII situated far from posterior margin. Ovipositor well developed.

Male unknown.

Measurements (holotype female, in microns). Distended body length 1270. Head length (width across cheeks) 87 (130), ocellar setae III length (interval) 40 (14). Pronotal median length (width) 90 (140), posteroangular setae I length 50, setae II length 45, posteromarginal setae I length 31, setae II length 10. Metascutal median length 75, median setae length 30. Fore wing length 800. Tergum IX median length 62.5, S1 setae length 63.7, S2 seta length 50, S3 setae length 72.5. Ovipositor length 175. Antennal segments I to VIII length (width) as follows: 25 (22.5), 37.5 (22.5), 55 (17.5), 48.7 (17.5), 33.7 (16.25), 57.5 (17.5), 9 (8.7), and 16.5 (6.2). The left antenna of the holotype has been lost during remounting.

Material studied. Holotype female: IRAN, Khorasan-e Razavi province, Mahvelat, Miyandehi, from Rosa damascena , 25.iii.2013, A. Nemati.

Paratypes: 3 females, same data as holotype, 7 females, same locality and date as holotype, from Prunus persica, A. Nemati. Jannnat-abad, 1 female from Sisymbrium orientale , 26.iii.2013, A. Nemati, 1 female from Medicago sativa , 26.iii.2013, A. Nemati. Khorasan-e Shomali province, Ashkhaneh, Eslam-abad village, 2 females from Prunus persica , 6.vi.2013, J. Alavi. Shir-abad village, 2 females, Prunus persica , 13.viii.1993, J. Alavi. Bojnourd, Bagh-e rostami, 1 female from Malus domestica , 7.vii.1993, J. Alavi. Chaharbid village, 1 female from Berberis sp., 4.vii.1993, J. Alavi. Gharlegh village, 1 female from Morus alba , 10.vii.1993, J. Alavi.

Comments. The presence of discal setae on the sternites is unusual in Mycterothrips and previously only five species were recorded as possessing these setae: acaciae, auratus , chaetogastra, laticauda, setiventris . Four of these species in this group have abdominal tergites with numerous ciliate microtrichia along lines of sculpture laterally, although these are not present in auratus . M. mahvelatensis is readily distinguished from M. auratus by the mesonotum with CPS (vs. without in M. auratus ), the presence of three lateral setae on tergite III (vs. four in M. auratus ), sternites V–VII with discal setae (vs. discal setae present on sternites III–VII in M. auratus ), and segment IX with only anterior pair of CPS (vs. both anterior and posterior pairs of CPS in M. auratus ). This new species can be distinguished easily from M. tschirkunae , the dominant Mycterothrips species in Iran, as follows: Mesonotum with paired CPS anteromedially (vs. absent in M. tschirkunae ); abdominal sternites V–VII or VI–VII with discal setae (vs. without in M. tschirkunae ); abdominal tergite IX with anterior pair of CPS (vs. without in M. tschirkunae ); median pair of marginal setae on sternite VII situated far from posterior margin (vs. situated at posterior margin in M. tschirkunae ). This new species and M. nastarani are the only members of Mycterothrips in Iran with discal setae on the sternites.

Etymology. This species name refers to the place of the collection "Mahvelat" which is a county in southwest of Khorasan-e Razavi province, and about 200 kilometres south of the provincial capital city, Mashhad.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. Mycterothrips mahvelatensis sp. n. Female: (1) Base of fore wing and scale (left); (2) Head & pronotum; (3) Antenna (right); (4) Mesonotum & metascutum; (5) Tergites II – IV; (6) Tergites VII – X; (7) Sternites V – VII.