Rhamphothrips amyae, Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2011

Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2011, New records and four new species of Australian Thripidae (Thysanoptera) emphasise faunal relationships between northern Australia and Asia, Zootaxa 2764, pp. 35-48 : 41-43

Rhamphothrips amyae sp. n.

Female macroptera. Body and legs yellow, with extreme apex of tergum X brown; antennal segments I–IV clear yellow ( Fig. 15 ), V–VIII dark brown; forewings pale. Head small, three pairs of ocellar and two pairs of postocular setae scarcely longer than setae on compound eyes; ocellar setae III between anterior margins of hind ocelli ( Fig. 16 ); mouth cone extending to forecoxae. Pronotum ( Fig. 16 ) about as wide as long, narrowed to anterior, surface with little or no sculpture; posterior margin with about 6 pairs of setae, one pair of posteroangular setae slightly prominent. Mesonotal anterior campaniform sensilla present, median setae about one third of sclerite length from posterior margin, lateral pair stout. Metanotal median setae not at anterior margin, campaniform sensilla present; median area with irregular and narrow longitudinal reticulation but striate laterally. Fore tibia with two moderately stout apical setae but no tooth. Forewing slender; first vein with about 7 setae basally, 3 widely spaced setae on distal half; second vein with 4 setae; clavus with 5 veinal and one discal setae. Prosternal basantra weakly sclerotised, ferna curved forwards medially; meso and metafurca without median spinula. Abdominal terga II–VIII with weak transverse reticulation, posterior margins with broad unlobed craspedum; paired campaniform sensilla on II–VII posterior to small, widely spaced median setae; X with median split almost complete. Sterna II–VI with broadly lobed craspedum, absent medially on VII; median two pairs of setae on VII elongate.

Measurements (paratype female in microns). Body length 1160. Head, dorsal length 65; width across eyes 100; ventral length to tip of mouth cone of paratype female 195. Pronotum, length 135; maximum width 125; posteroangular major seta 30. Forewing length 520. Ovipositor length 215. Antennal segments III–VIII length 35, 32, 32, 40, 7, 10.

Male macroptera. Similar to female, but antennal segment IV weakly shaded. Fore tibia with well-developed apical tubercle ( Fig. 19 ), fore coxa without tubercle; craspedum on tergum II unlobed, on III–VIII with large, laterally pointing, teeth but median area unlobed ( Fig. 17 ); tergum IX medially with pair of fine setae arising from slightly separated small tubercles, with no microtrichia laterally; sternum IX with transverse band of microtrichia. Measurements (holotype male in microns). Body length 900. Head, ventral length to tip of mouth cone 150. Pronotum, length 125; posteroangular major seta 15. Forewing length 450. Antennal segments III–VIII length 30, 30, 28, 38, 7, 10.

Material studied. Holotype male, Australia, Queensland, Carnarvon Station Reserve, from Callistemon shoots, iv.2007 (A. Wells 5/07).

Paratypes: Queensland, 9 females, 2 males taken with holotype; Queensland, Brisbane, Sherwood, 1 female from Acacia sp., 14.iii.2002.

Comments. The females of R. amyae are similar to those of an Indian species, R. parviceps Hood , in lacking any fore tibial tooth. However, in the Indian species the median setae (S1) on sternum VII are much smaller than setae S2. The females of R. amyae are closely similar to those of R. cissus in structure. They differ as follows: antennal segments V–VIII uniformly brown; mouth cone shorter, not extending beyond fore coxae; pronotum with no lines of sculpture and discal setae weak ( Fig. 16 ); metanotum with more closely spaced lines medially; ovipositor shorter. The males are also similar to those of cissus , but the lateral tergal teeth are much more prominent and occur on terga III–VIII ( Fig. 17 ).

Figures

FIGURES 15 – 23. Rhamphothrips species. R. amyae 15 – 19: (15) antenna; (16) head & pronotum; (17) male terga V – IX; (18) female sterna VI – VII; (19) male fore tibia & tarsus. R. cissus 20 – 21: (20) thoracic sterna; (21) male terga V – IX. R. pandens (22) male terga IV – IX. R. tenuirostris (23) male terga VI – IX.