Mycterothrips doostii

Minaei, Kambiz, Alichi, Mahmood, Fekrat, Lida, Aleosfoor, Maryam & Alavi, Jalil, 2017, Leaf-feeding Mycterothrips: two new species from southern Iran (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), Zootaxa 4243 (1), pp. 195-200 : 196-198

Mycterothrips doostii ( Figs 1, 3, 6, 7, 10 , 11, 13)

Female macroptera. Body uniformly yellow; antennal segments IV–VIII pale brown, IV paler in basal twothird, V paler in basal third ( Fig. 1 ); all legs and fore wings yellow; ovipositor shaded, prominent body setae shaded.

Head wider than long, with three pairs of ocellar setae, pair III situated between posterior ocelli, five pairs of postocular setae present, all postocular setae almost subequal in length ( Fig. 3 ). Pronotum wider than long, with two pairs of long posteroangular setae and two pairs of posteromarginal setae ( Fig. 7 ), with 12–16 discal setae; mesonotum with one pair of campaniform sensilla anteromedially, median pair of setae anterior to level of sub median setae ( Fig. 6 ); metascutum weakly reticulate medially, median pair of setae situated near anterior margin; meso- and metasternum with spinula developed. First vein of fore wings with a median long gap in setal row, with 7–9 basal and 2 distal setae, second vein with 9–11 setae; posterior fringe cilia wavy; scale with 4–5 veinal and 1 discal setae.

Abdominal tergites smooth medially, but with weak ciliate microtrichia on sculptural lines on lateral thirds; tergite II with three lateral marginal setae; S4 setae on tergites VI–VIII not developed; tergite VIII with complete posteromarginal comb of microtrichia, tergite IX with both anterior and posterior pairs of campaniform sensilla (Fig. 11); tergite X without a median split; sternites without discal setae and pore plate; median pair of setae on sternite VII situated far from posterior margin. Ovipositor well developed.

Measurements (Holotype female, in microns). Body length 1350. Head length (width) 92 (150), ocellar setae III length 32, postocular setae I length 12. Pronotum length (width) 126 (172), posteroangular setae I length 47, setae II length 52. Fore wings length 780. Tergite IX S1 setae length 72. Antennal segments III to VIII length: 40, 38, 30, 44, 9, 16.

Male macroptera. Body smaller and paler than female. Antennal segment VI almost as long as segment VI of female. Postocular setae I–V almost equal in length in the only available specimen ( Fig. 10 ). Abdominal tergite IX apparently without a pair of small setae near posterior margin but with one pair of campaniform sensilla (Fig. 13); sternites without discal setae and pore plates. Hypomere slightly expanded at apex (Fig. 14).

Measurements (one male, in microns). Body length 1013. Head length (width) 107 (144), ocellar setae III length 38, postocular setae I 12. Pronotum length (width) 118 (168), posteroangular setae I length 41, setae II length 46. Fore wings length 615. Antennal segments III to VIII length: 45, 41, 32, 47, 7, 15.

Material studied. Holotype female: IRAN, Fars province, Sepidan , 8 females, on Juglans regia , 29.viii.2011 (KM 524).

Paratypes: 7 females, same data as holotype ; same locality and plant, 6 females, 1 male, 28.v.2016 (KM 1482).

Comments. This uniformly yellow species runs in the key by Masumoto and Okajima (2006) up to couplet 19 but does not fit in with either section ( M. aureus and M. albus ). It can be distinguished from M. aureus by the following features: abdominal tergites with weak ciliate microtrichia on the sculpture lines on lateral thirds in doostii (vs. abdominal tergites apparently without microtrichia in aureus ); S4 setae on tergite VI is small in doostii but well- developed in aureus . Antennal segment II of doostii is pale, whereas aureus bears a shaded or pale brown segment II. The new species also differs with M. albus as follows: in female, abdominal tergites with microtrichia along sculpture lines (vs. abdominal tergites without microtrichia in M. albus ); tergum IX with two pairs of campaniform sensilla (vs. one pair in M. albus ). In male, antennal segment VI almost as long as segment VI of female (vs. antennal segment VI distinctly longer that of female in M. albus ). In the key to species by Alavi et al. (2013) this species runs to couplet 7 ( M. weii ). However, it can be recognized from weii by the different color of body (including antennae) and position of the median pair of mesonotal setae. In weii these setae arise far from the posterior margin, while in M. doostii they are located near the posterior margin. Moreover, in contrast to M. doostii , microtrichia are apparently absent on abdominal tergites in M. weii .

Etymology. The species is named in the memory of late Mehran Doosti who was a dominant radio broadcaster in Iran and died on 23 May 2015 at 59.

FIGURES 11–14. Tergites VIII–X 11– 13: (11) doostii ; (12) zagrosi (13) doostii (male). (14) Tergites V–VII, zagrosi .

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 10. Mycterothrips species. Antennae 1 – 2: (1) doostii; (2) zagrosi. Head 3 – 4: (3) doostii; (4) zagrosi. (5) Mesonotum, zagrosi. (6) Meso and metanotum, doostii. Pronotum 7 – 8: (7) doostii; (8) zagrosi. (9) Fore wing, zagrosi. (10) Head and pronotum, doostii (male).