Carientothrips alienatus, 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 : 196-197

Carientothrips alienatus sp.n.

( Figs 4, 6 , 17 , 36 )

Female macroptera. Head, thorax, abdomen and femora uniformly brown, tibiae variable from yellow to brown, tarsi yellow; fore wing weakly shaded except near base; major setae pale; antennal segment I brown, II brown and paler distally, III–V yellow with gradually more shaded apex, VI brown with pedicel yellow, VII–VIII brown.

Head weakly reticulate near margins, longer than wide, weakly projecting in front of eyes ( Fig. 4 ); postocellar setae and postocular setae well-developed, long, slender and acute, mid-dorsal setae minute and acute; compound eyes usually smaller ventrally than dorsally ( Fig. 6 ); maxillary stylets about 0.5 of head width apart, retracted almost to postocular setae; maxillary palp segment I about 3 times as long as wide, segment II slightly shorter than I with weak transverse lines ( Fig. 17 ). Antennal segment VIII not narrowed to base.

Pronotum transverse, notopleural sutures complete; 4 pairs of major setae developed, aa, ml and epim blunt to weakly capitate but pa acute, am minute and acute; basantra small and weakly sclerotised, mesopresternum transverse ( Fig. 36 ); metathoracic sternopleural sutures long and curved. Metanotum weakly reticulate, median setae slender and acute. Fore femora not enlarged, fore tarsal tooth absent. Fore wing parallel sided; sub-basal setae S1 and S2 weakly capitate, S3 acute; 3–7 duplicated cilia.

Pelta with long, slender lateral lobes connected narrowly to elongate median lobe, campaniform sensilla absent; tergites III–VII each with one pair of sigmoid wing-retaining setae, setae S1 minute medially on tergite, S2 long and blunt to weakly capitate; tergite IX setae S1 acute, S2 blunt. Tube shorter than head. Sternites with median transverse row of about 12 minute discal setae, median posteromarginal setae small and arising in front of margin.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 2550. Head, length 310; width 255; postocellar setae 50; po setae 75. Pronotum, length 150; width 280; major setae am 40, aa 45, ml 55, epim 75, pa 90. Fore wing, length 950; sub-basal setae 35, 65, 85. Tergite IX setae S1 135, S2 155. Tube length 185. Antennal segments III–VIII length 80, 85, 85, 70, 55, 35.

Male macroptera. Similar to female except fore tarsus with small tooth.

Male hemimacroptera ( Fig. 4 ). Similar to female in structure, except head slightly narrower, fore femora swollen, fore tarsal tooth stout; pronotum larger, aa and ml setae finely acute, epim and pa setae bluntly pointed; fore wings about 1.5 times as long as pterothorax width, but fore wing length continuously variable among males, microptera fore wings shorter than pterothorax width.

Measurements (large, hemimacropterous male in microns). Body length 2400. Head, length 250; width 215; postocellar setae 75; po setae 130. Pronotum, length 185; width 275; major setae am 35, aa 75, ml 130, epim 100, pa 100. Fore wing, length 280; sub-basal setae 60, 80, 90. Tergite IX setae S1 125, S2 150. Tube length 175. Antennal segments III–VIII length 75, 75, 80, 60, 55, 35.

Specimens studied. Holotype female macroptera. Australia, South Australia, 40km southeast of Mt. Gambier , from dead Eucalyptus obliqua nuts, 12.iii.2011 (LAM5465).

Paratypes: 4 females, 7 males hemimacropterae taken with holotype; South Australia, Adelaide, Mt. George , 2 female, 2 males, from Eucalyptus dead nuts, 19.xii.2005. Victoria, 25km north of Cann River , 2 females, 9 male macropterae and hemimacropterae, from dead Eucalyptus leaves, 2.iv.2011. Tasmania, 17 Mile Plain , 1 male, 11.iii.2010; Flinders Island , 1 female, 27.xi.2011. Australian Capital Territory, Black Mt ., 4 females, 3 males from dead Eucalyptus leaves, 30.iv.2011. New South Wales, Talaganda , 2 males 6.viii.2006, 2 females 1 male, 27.ii.2011 from dead Eucalyptus ; Moruya 1 female from dead Eucal yptus leaves, 15.ix.2012 . Queensland: Beerwah, 2 females from Casuarina dead pods, 29.ix.1998; Mt. Coot-tha , 1 male from dead leaves, 29.xii.2006; D'Aguilar National Park , 1 female from dead branches, 3.iv.2011, 1 female from dead wood, 26.iii.2013, 1 female from dead leaves, 10.v.2007, 1 female from dead wood 1.viii.2012; Blackbutt , 2 female, 2 males from dead wood, 8.iv.2012; Blackall Range , 1 male from dead leaves 17.v.2007; Moreton Island , 1 female from dead Lophostemon confertus nuts 26.viii.2009; Stanthorpe , 1 female, 1 male from dead leaves, 29.xii.2011, 1 male from dead leaves, 17.v.2007; Cape Tribulation , 1 female from dead leaves, 9.x.2012.

Specimens excluded from type series: Queensland: Brisbane Forest Park, 4 females 1 male, 26.iii.2013 ; Girraween N.P., 1 female, 2 males, 29.xii.2011 ; Mt. Gammy , 16.viii.2010 ; Queen Mary’s Falls , 1 female, 6.iv.2007 ; Moreton Is. , 1 female, 28.viii.2009 ; Cape Tribulation , 1 male, 8.x.2012 .

Comments. The paratypes from Mt. George, South Australia, were taken together with C. mjobergi , and Mound (1974 a) interpreted the difference in the form of the eyes between these two species as being intraspecific variation. However, no intermediate specimens have been found between the conditions—eyes with one isolated posterior ommatidium, and eyes rather smaller ventrally than dorsally without an isolated ommatidium. Moreover, apart from the obvious eye difference, the males of alienatus differ from those of mjobergi in having the head more slender with very long and acute postocellar and postocular setae, and the pronotal aa and ml setae are also long and acute in contrast to the usually shorter and more blunt setae of mjobergi . Also similar in general appearance is the rainforest species, flavitibia , but that has the eyes prolonged ventrally, and the hind tibiae more sharply yellow in contrast to the brown femora. Despite this, several specimens are listed above, mainly from southeastern Queensland, that judging from the form of the eyes seem to represent alienatus , but that have the mid and hind tibiae ranging from light brownish yellow to the same clear yellow colour that is found in flavitibia .

Figures

FIGURES 1–9. Carientothrips species. Head: (1) mjobergi, (2) flavitibia, (3) tasmanica, (4) alienatus major male, (5) loisthus macropterae. Ventral eye surface: (6) alienatus, (7) miskoi, (8) flavitibia, (9) tasmanica.

FIGURES 16–20. Carientothrips species. Maxillary palps: (16) palumai, (17) alienatus, (18) tasmanica, (19) loisthus, (20) flavitibia.

FIGURES 31–36. Carientothrips species. Metathorax and pelta: (31) calami, (32) tasmanica, (33) mjobergi, (34) snowi. Pelta: (35) flavitibia. Thoracic sternites: (36) alienatus.