Rohrthrips patrickmuelleri, Ulitzka, 2019

Ulitzka, Manfred R., 2019, Five new species of Rohrthrips (Thysanoptera: Rohrthripidae) from Burmese amber, and the evolution of Tubulifera wings, Zootaxa 4585 (1), pp. 27-40 : 32-33

Rohrthrips patrickmuelleri sp. n.

( Figs 6–8 )

Female. Body fully extended; pronotum basally slightly dented; basal abdominal segments difficult to assess due to shiny refraction; legs folded under body except right mid leg; fore wings overlapping hind wings.

Colour ( Fig. 6 ) uniformly light brown including antennae and legs; all major setae and wing fringes dark; wing veins coloured pale greyish-brown, only a shade darker as wing membrane.

Head ( Fig. 6 ) with reticulate sculpture particularly in the middle; about as long as wide and produced in front of anterior margin of eyes, with cheeks slightly rounded behind eyes; cheeks lacking setae; one pair of long but very fine ocellar setae close to base of antennae. Eyes not prolonged ventrally. Hind ocelli close to compound eyes; far apart from each other. Vertex with postocular setae far behind eyes (left seta missing). Antennae 9-segmented; segment I barrel-shaped; segment II basally asymmetric without elongated pedicle; III–VIII symmetrical, inverse conically shaped and tapering distally from level of sense cones; sensorium on segment II not visible; number of sense cones of the following segments difficult to assess but at least one inner and one outer on III–VI and one outer only on VII; segment IX conically shaped, at base narrower than segment VIII distally. Mouth cone short and rounded. Maxillary palps 2-segmented; labial palps minute, not assessable. Pronotum wider than long, trapezoidal; posteroangular setae long and pointed, other pronotal setae not developed or missing; epimeral setae long and pointed. Metanotum with a pair of fine setae far apart from the front margin of the plate. Prosternum with fernal plates wider than long; basantra not visible (very likely not developed); mesopresternum complete, very flat boatshaped; mesosternellum and metasternum fused. Fore wings ( Fig. 6 ) becoming progressively larger in distal half; anterior vein complete, reaching costa near apex; bearing two distal setae and one basal seta located anteriorly to the vein; straight except for the short bending close to its tip; second vein not developed; membrane without microtrichia. Fringe cilia straight; arising from sockets; duplicated cilia present around apical margin of wing; clavus with paired setiform processes at tip. Hind wings at base clearly with microtrichia ( Fig. 8 ); without any veins; base with recurved setae; sockets of wing fringes smaller as on fore wing ( Fig. 7 ). Fore legs with femora stout; fore tarsi with two teeth. Mid and hind legs slender. All femora with one long ventral and all tibiae with one long dorsal seta; mid and hind tibiae terminally each with three spines, much smaller on mid tibiae; mid and hind tarsi two-segmented, with hamus. Abdominal tergites faintly sculptured reticulate (partly visible only), without wing-retaining setae; lateral setae long, pointed; setae s3 on IV–VII longer than other lateral setae and conspicuously bent inwards ( Fig. 6 ). Abdominal segment I (pelta) not assessable; IX conical, with setae s3 long and somewhat protruding tube; sternite IX with structures interpretable as gynosternal plates and fustis (cf. Bhatti 1998b). Abdominal segment X (tube) conically extended at base; its sculpture not assessable; apparently without campaniform sensilla; with terminal crown of long anal setae.

Measurements. Female (in microns): Body, length 1600. Head, length 202; width 200. Eyes, length 85; width 38. Hind ocelli, diameter 19; distance between the hind ocelli 50. Ocellar setae 32. Postocular setae 38. Prothorax, length 233; width 378; posteroangular setae 100; epimeral setae 107. Pterothorax, largest width 365. Metanotal median setae about 57. Abdomen, length 1000; largest width 461 (segments III–IV); segment X (tube), length 151; basal width 63. Setae s3 on tergite IX 220. Antennae, length 399; length (largest width) of segment I 40 (25), II 47 (34), III 62 (34), IV 47 (31), V 53 (31), VI 50 (28), VII 47 (22), VIII 34 (16), IX 19 (8). Sense cones, length of inner (outer) on segment III 20 (18), IV 22 (19), V 22 (25), VI 25 (19), VII – (16); basal width 4–5. Fore wings, length 1030; largest width 206.

Syninclusions. Remnants of another insect and a stellate trichome.

Etymology. The species R. patrickmuelleri is dedicated to Patrick Müller for his generous donations of Burmese amber thrips inclusions.

Figures

FIGURES 5–8. Rohrthrips spp. (5) R. maryae sp. n. holotype male, dorsal view. R. patrickmuelleri sp. n. holotype female 6– 8: (6) dorsal view; (7) surface pattern of wings (phase contrast), indicated red: longitudinally orientated surface pattern, indicated black: submarginal ridge; (8) basal part of wings (phase contrast), indicated white: wing vein, indicated red: longitudinally orientated surface pattern, indicated black: microtrichia.