Carientothrips palumai, Eow, 2014

Eow, Li-Xin, 2014, Australian species of spore-feeding Thysanoptera in the genera Carientothrips and Nesothrips (Thysanoptera: Idolothripinae), Zootaxa 3821 (2), pp. 193-221 : 207-208

Carientothrips palumai sp.n.

( Figs 14 , 42 )

Female aptera. Bicoloured, thorax and abdomen brown, posterior segments darkest, head yellow anteromedially but shading to brown at margins and posterior ( Fig. 14 ); legs brownish yellow, tarsi yellow; antennal segment I yellow, II brown, III–V yellow but shaded at apex, VI brown with yellow pedicel, VII–VIII brown.

Head longer than wide, projecting in front of eyes, weakly reticulate laterally; ocelli reduced; postocellar and postocular setae blunt, mid-dorsal setae minute; compound eyes slightly smaller ventrally than dorsally, posterolateral ommatidia enlarged; maxillary stylets more than 0.5 of head width apart, retracted almost to postocular setae; maxillary palp segment I about 3 times as long as wide, segment II about 0.8 as long as I with transverse lines, terminal sensorium normal. Antennae segment VIII slightly constricted at base.

Pronotum transverse, weakly reticulate near posterior margin, notopleural sutures complete; with 4 pairs of major capitate setae, am no larger than discal setae; mesopresternum transverse; metathoracic sternopleural sutures curved but not prominent. Metanotum without reticulation medially, median setae minute, slender and acute. Fore femora not enlarged, fore tarsal tooth absent. Fore wing lobe scarcely 10 microns long, with no long setae.

Pelta extending across 90% of tergite II anterior margin, rounded median lobe with broad lateral lobes ( Fig. 42 ), campaniform sensilla absent; tergites III–VI with only one pair of discal setae; tergal wing-retaining setae minute and straight; tergite IX setae S1 acute, S2 and S3 capitate. Tube shorter than head. Sternites with median transverse row about 8 minute discal setae, posteromarginal setae small and arising in front of margin.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 2500. Head, length 270; width 235; postocellar setae 55; po setae 70. Pronotum, length 165; width 300; major setae am 10, aa 40, ml 55, epim 75, pa 75. Tergite IX setae S1 105, S2 125. Tube length 200. Antennal segments III–VIII length 80, 85, 85, 70, 60, 40.

Male. Similar to female but smaller, with stout, acute fore tarsal tooth; tergite IX setae similar to female.

Female macroptera. Similar to aptera, except fore wing present and darkly shaded, ocelli well-developed, metanotum weakly reticulate, fore wings fully developed with 2 or 3 duplicated cilia and sub-basal setae S1 minute, S2 and S3 well-developed and bluntly pointed, tergites with sigmoid wing-retaining setae.

Measurements (female macroptera in microns). Body length 2400. Fore wing length 1000; sub-basal setae 15, 40, 60.

Specimens studied. Holotype female aptera. Australia, Queensland, Paluma , from dead leaves, 15.vii.1995 (LAM2766).

Paratypes: 2 apterous females, 1 apterous male taken with holotype; Queensland: Cape Tribulation , 1 macropterous female from dead leaves, 7.vii.1995 ; 1 female, 1 male macropterae, Lake Eacham , in flight trap, iii.1988 ; Cairns , 2 females from dead wood, 2.x.2012 , 1 female from dead leaves, 4.x.2012; Mt. Lewis , 2 males from dead wood & leaves, 18.ix.2013 ; Lamington National Park , 1 female from dead leaves, 13.iii.2007 . New South Wales, Crystal Creek , 1 female from dead palm fronds, 24.xii.2006 .

Comments. This species is generally similar in appearance to semirufus , but with a shorter head, and has only one pair of discal setae on each tergite.

Figures

FIGURES 10–15. Carientothrips species. Head: (10) horni, (11) calami, (12) semirufus, (13) snowi, (14) palumai, (15) vesper.

FIGURES 37–43. Carientothrips species. Metathorax and pelta: (37) horni, (38) acti, (39) vesper, (40) loisthus, (41) semirufus. Pelta: (42) palumai, (43) miskoi.