Nimbopsocus huttoni, Smithers, 2007

Smithers, C. N., 2007, Lord Howe Island Psocoptera (Insecta), Records of the Australian Museum 59 (1), pp. 9-26 : 23-24

Nimbopsocus huttoni n.sp.

Material studied.! HOLOTYPE (K232524), 4!! (not designated paratypes as they are in poor condition), 8 nymphs, on rocks, northern Little Slope , 30.xi.2000, I. Hutton.

Etymology. This species is named for Dr Ian Hutton in recognition of his contribution to knowledge of the natural history of Lord Howe Island.

Description

Female. Coloration (in alcohol). Head pale brown with pattern of well defined, irregularly-shaped, dark, brown spots. Median epicranial suture pale, flanked on vertex by two rows of spots on each side. Four or five curved rows of spots on each epicranial plate, running almost parallel with inner margin of compound eye. Position of anterior arms of epicranial suture indicated by brown line (anterior arms themselves evanescent). Small brown spot below lower margin of eye behind which is a much larger spot which extends to occupy much of the gena near antenna base. Frons with a dark brown circle. Postclypeus with seven anteriorly converging brown stripes on each side of midline. Anteclypeus and labrum pale except for two small but obvious dark spots on anterior margin of latter. Scape, pedicel and first flagellar segment of antenna pale (antennae incomplete on all specimens). Eyes black. Ocelli black, integument between posterior ocelli pale. Maxillary palps pale except for light brown fourth segment. Mesothoracic antedorsum brown with pale median line; dorsal lobes pale with brown, ovoid area occupying middle part of lobe, median line very dark brown. Mesepisternum mostly dark brown, mesepimeron dark in dorsal part, pale in ventral part. Mesothoracic pleuron mostly pale except for darker area above coxa. Prothoracic legs with pale coxa, femur dark dorsally, irregularly marked laterally; tibia pale, basally and distally brown. Basal tarsal segment pale; second and third segments brown; claws very dark brown. Meso- and metathoracic legs similar to prothoracic legs but coxae laterally dark in basal half. Fore wing ( Fig. 19 ) membrane mostly finely speckled with brown spots; main veins in basal half of wing, other than Cu2, with alternating lengths of dark and pale sections. Pattern on membrane is of denser spotting near marginal parts of cells R5, M1, M2, and M3. Hind wing membrane very faintly tinged with brown. Small spots at end of veins R1, R2+3; some sections of wing margin between end of R2+3 and M slightly darker than rest of margin. Abdomen ventrally pale, dorsally with strongly developed pattern of irregular, segmentally arranged, very dark brown spots of various sizes.

Morphology. Length of body not measured as all specimens have shrunken abdomens. Median epicranial suture distinct; anterior arms evanescent. Labrum with 8 external proximal sensilla and 7 marginal sensilla. Marginal sensilla consist of 4 trichoid and 3 placoid sensilla. Eyes small, not reaching level of vertex when seen from side. IO/ D: 2.46; PO: 0.61. Ocelli small, anterior ocellus not obvious. Apex of lacinia with smaller inner tooth and bigger, broad outer tooth, apex of which is equipped with several small

plate; (23) paraproct; (24) entrance to spermatheca. terminal rounded protuberances. Measurements of hind leg: F: 1.17 mm.; T: 1.87 mm.; t1: 0.62 mm.; t2: 0.08 mm.; t3: 0.1 mm.; rt: 7.75:1:1.25; ct. 22, 1, 1. Fore wing length: 5.0 mm.; fore wing width: 1.7 mm. Fore wing ( Fig. 19 ) with Sc present as small, inconspicuous vestige, ending in costal cell. Rs and M meet in a point or are fused for a short length. Hind wing with Rs distal to separation from M strongly curved towards hind margin of wing then curving forward to division into R2+3 and R4+5; R2+3 reaches wing margin at wing apex. Rs and M fused for a length. M very strongly sinuous. End of Cu1 strongly recurved near wing margin. Epiproct ( Fig. 20 ) with transverse band of irregularly spaced setae running more or less parallel to curved hind margin and a group of sorter, finer setae near middle of hind margin. Paraproct ( Fig. 23 ). Subgenital plate ( Fig. 22 , drawn from non-type specimen) with short median posterior lobe bearing 3 terminal setae. Posterior part of plate glabrous, anteriorly plate with fine, scattered setae. Gonapophyses ( Fig. 21 ) with ventral valve short, tapering distally to very fine point. Dorsal valve long, tapering, curved near distal end. Ninth sternite with simple sclerite at entrance to spermatheca ( Fig. 24 ).

Male. Unknown.

Nymphs. Large nymphs are easily recognisable by their head pattern, which is similar to that of adults, the large, characteristic dark spot on the gena below the eye being obvious also in the nymphs. Knobbed glandular setae are present on abdomen and head.

Distribution. Known only from Lord Howe Island.

Figures

Figs 19–24. Nimbopsocus huttoni n.sp. Female: (19) fore wing; (20) epiproct; (21) gonapophyses; (22) subgenital