Thelaxes suberi

Wieczorek, Karina, Kanturski, Mariusz & Junkiert, Łukasz, 2013, The sexuales of Thelaxes suberi (Hemiptera, Aphidoidea: Thelaxinae), Zootaxa 3701 (3), pp. 344-348 : 344-346

Thelaxes suberi (del Guercio)

( Figs 1 , 2 )

Tavaresiella suberi del Guercio, 1911: 299.

Material examined: Turkey, Ilgaz, Beloren, 7.xi.1968, 1 oviparous female, 1 male, (N. Tuatay) MNHN (EH) 17541.

Oviparous female (two measurements refer to left and right sides of the sole specimen) ( Fig. 1 a; Table 1 ). Color of live specimens unknown; mounted specimens: yellowish – light brown. Body small, egg shaped. Head and pronotum fused, covered by light brown sclerotic shield. Antennae 5-segmented ( Fig. 1 b), short, 0.44–0.45 length of body. Antennal segment I almost square-shaped but slightly narrower at apex. Ant. segm. II club-shaped. Ant. segm. III narrower at base than at apex with poorly developed transverse rows of very short fine spinules and with 0–1 small, rounded secondary rhinarium. Ant. segm. IV also narrower at base, with 1 rounded, slightly ciliated rhinarium and well-developed transverse rows of fine spinules, which are longer than those on ant. segm. III. Ant. segm. V almost as long as ant. segm. III, with well developed transverse rows of fine spinules. There is 1 major, ciliated rhinarium, and 3–4 small, rounded and ciliated secondary rhinaria at apex of base (Va). Terminal process (Vb) very short, about 0.23–0.26 times base. Other antennal ratios: Vb:III 0.20; Va:III 0.77–0.87; IV:III 0.52–0.63. Antennal chaetotaxy: ant. segm. I with 5 setae, ant. segm. II with 2 setae, ant. segm. III with 5–7 setae, ant. segm. IV with 3–4 setae; all setae pointed. Ant segm. V with 2 basal setae, 3 apical and 3 subapical setae. Head with triommatidia. Head width 0.60–0.61 times length of antennae. Frons flat. Head chaetotaxy: eight pairs of spine-like setae and four pairs of fine, pointed setae. Rostrum reaching end of abd. segm. II. Apical segment of rostrum (ARS) long, with 2 primary and 4 accessory setae and pointed apical part ( Fig. 1 c). ARS 1.42–1.46 times HTII. Dorsal side of body covered with large, spine-like setae. There are 4 setae on the mesonotum in spinal position, 1 seta in pleural position and 2 setae on each marginal areas in anterior and posterior part of tergite. Metanotum with 2 spinal, 2 pleural and 2 marginal setae situated like on mesonotum. Abd. segm. I–II with 1 spinal, 1 pleural and 1 marginal seta. Abd. segm. III–IV with 1 spinal, 2 pleural and 1 marginal setae which are 0.010– 0.012 mm long. Abd. segm. V–VIII with 1 spinal and 1 marginal seta without pleural setae. Pleural setae on abd. segm. V and VI shorter than other, about 0.007 mm. Sclerites of abd. segm. III-VIII fused in one sclerotic shield. Hind femur and trochanter fused. Hind tibiae slightly swollen with 6–7 medium sized, rounded and slightly oval pseudosensoria in the middle of their length ( Fig. 1 d). Segm. I of hind tarsus 0.350–0.375 times segm. II of hind tarsus (HT II), with 4 hair-like ventral setae. Siphunculi small and porous. Cauda knobbed, slightly wider than long, with 6 thin hair-like setae and very short spinules ( Fig. 1 e). Subgenital plate wider than longer with small indentation in the middle of width. Abdomen with a pair of large wax glands extending across sternites V and VI.

Apterous male (two measurements refer to left and right sides of the sole specimen) ( Fig. 2 a, Table 1 ). Color of live specimens unknown; mounted specimen: yellowish–light brown. Body small, egg shaped. Head and pronotum fused, covered by light brown sclerotic shield. Antennae ( Fig. 2 b) 5-segmented, about 0.35 length of body. Ant. segm. I almost square shaped. Ant. segm. II narrower at base, than at apex. Ant. segm. III finger-shaped with poorly developed transverse rows of very short fine spinules and with 4 small, rounded secondary rhinaria. Ant. segm. IV narrover at base than at apex, with well developed transverse rows of fine spinules, which are longer than spinules on ant. segm. III. Also 4 small, rounded rhinaria are on this segment. Ant. segm. V almost as long as ant. segm. III, with well developed transverse rows of fine spinules. There are 1 major rhinarium and 6–7 small, rounded, ciliated secondary rhinaria at Va. Vb very short, about 0.22–0.29 times base. Other antennal ratios: Vb:III 0.24–0.26; Va:III 0.90–1.06; IV:III 0.62–0.63. Antennal chaetotaxy: ant. segm. I with 4–5 setae, ant. segm. II with 2 setae, ant. segm. III with 3–4 pointed setae, ant. segm. IV with 2–3 setae. Ant segm. V with 2 basal setae, 3 apical and 2–3 subapical setae. Head with triommatidia. Frons almost flat. Head chaetotaxy: eight pairs of pointed spine like setae and four pars of fine and pointed setae. Head width 0.75–0.76 times length of antennae. Rostrum reaching hind coxae. ARS with 2 primary and 4 accesory setae and pointed apical part ( Fig. 2 c). ARS 1.15–1.24 times HTII. Dorsal side of body covered with large, spine-like setae. There are 3 setae on mesonotum in spinal position and 2 marginal setae on anterior and posterior part of tergite. Metanotum with 1 spinal, 2 pleural and 2 marginal setae. Abd. segm. I–V with 1 row of spinal, pleural and marginal setae, which are 0.015–0.017 mm long. Pleural setae on abd. segm. V–VI shorter than other, about 0.005–0.0075 mm long. Marginal setae on abd. segm. V–VII longer that other, about 0.02–0.022 mm long. Also there are 2 marginal setae on abd. segm. VI of variable length, in the anterior and posterior part of tergite; longer seta about 0.02 mm long. Abd. segm. VII–VIII without pleural setae. Sclerites of abd. segm. III-VIII fused in one sclerotic shield. Hind femur and trochanter fused. Segm. I of hind tarsus 0.35–0.37 times HT II, with 5 hair-like ventral setae ( Fig. 2 d). Siphunculi small and porous. Cauda knobbed, nearly 2 times wider than long, with thin hair-like setae and very short spinules. Genitalia: parameres are present, located above the basal part of the phallus, strongly modified and fused into a single, triangular structure. The basal part of the phallus is present, but strongly reduced, without setae.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Thelaxes suberi — oviparous female: (a) general feature, (b) antenna, (c) apical segment of rostrum, (d) hind tibia and tarsus, (e) cauda.

FIGURE 2. Thelaxes suberi — male: (a) general feature, (b) antenna, (c) apical segment of rostrum, (d) hind tarsus, (e) genitalia.

Tables

TABLE 1. Measurements of oviparous female and male of T. suberi (in mm).

Character	oviparous female	male
Length of body	0.900	0.720
Width of body	0.450	0.290
Head width across triommatidia	0.245	0.215
Length of antennae	0.397–0.407	0.282–0.285
Length of antennal segment III	0.082–0.087	0.072–0.075
segment IV	0.045–0.052	0.045–0.047
segment V	0.085–0.089	0.087–0.095
segment Va (base)	0.067–0.072	0.067–0.077
segment Vb (processus terminalis)	0.017–0.018	0.017–0.020
Length of apical segment of rostrum	0.102	0.077
Length of hind femora fused with trochanter	0.185–0.195	0.172–0.175
Length of hind tibiae	0.215–0.225	0.20–0.21
Length of hind tarsi	0.095–0.099	0.084–0.092
Diameter of siphuncular pore	0.020–0.022	0.012–0.015
Length of subgenital plate	0.042	-
Width of subgenital plate	0.117	-
Length of cauda	0.032	0.020
Width of cauda (in the middle part)	0.042	0.025