Carientothrips calami, 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 : 199-200

Carientothrips calami sp. n.

( Figs 11 , 23 , 31 )

Female macroptera. Body strongly sculptured, head, thorax and abdomen reticulate, tube with longitudinal ridges ( Fig. 23 ), femora tuberculate. Body bicoloured, abdominal segments I–II brownish-yellow, III–VIII brown, IX brownish-yellow, tube brown with distal end paler; head and pterothorax brownish-yellow but darker laterally, legs brownish-yellow; fore wing colourless (or pale yellow); major setae pale yellowish; antennal segments brownishyellow, apex of VI darker, and VII–VIII pale brown.

Head longer than wide, projecting in front of eyes ( Fig. 11 ); postocellar setae minute; postocular setae with apices blunt; compound eyes relatively small, posterolateral ommatidia enlarged; eyes not prolonged ventrally; ventral surface of head weakly reticulate, without long setae except one posterior pair; maxillary stylets about 0.3 of head width apart, retracted almost to postocular setae; mandible scarcely retracted anterior to postoccipital ridge; maxillary palp segment I about twice as long as wide, segment II twice as long as I with transverse lines. Antennal segment VIII not narrowed to base.

Pronotum transverse, notopleural sutures complete; only 4 pairs of major setae well-developed with blunt to weakly capitate apices, am no larger than discal setae; basantra and ferna reticulate; mesopresternum transverse; metathoracic sternopleural sutures long and curved. Mesonotum anterior half with small microtrichia on lines of reticulation; metanotum strongly reticulate, median setae minute and acute ( Fig. 31 ). Fore femora bulbous but not enlarged, fore tarsal tooth small and blunt. Fore wing parallel sided; sub-basal setae S1–S3 capitate; 6–10 duplicated cilia. Pelta with long, slender lateral lobes connected narrowly to elongate median lobe ( Fig. 31 ), campaniform sensilla present; tergites III–VII each with one pair of sigmoid wing-retaining setae, and close to these one pair of prominent weakly capitate setae; tergite IX setae S1 and S2 capitate and 0.5 as long as tube, S3 acute. Tube longitudinally ridged, almost as long as head. Sternites with median transverse row of up to 20 minute discal setae, posteromarginal setae small and arising in front of margin.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 2900. Head, length 350; width 260; po setae 55. Pronotum, length 210; width 350; major setae am 15, aa 25, ml 20, epim 70, pa 50. Fore wing, length 1070; subbasal setae 25, 25, 30. Tergite IX setae S1 140, S2 170. Tube length 350. Antennal segments III–VIII length 85, 100, 85, 70, 55, 30.

Male macroptera. Similar to female in structure, except fore femora enlarged, fore tarsal tooth stouter.

Specimens studied. Holotype female. Australia, Queensland, Cairns, Crystal Creek , from dead rattan palm frond, 4.x.2012 (LAM5629).

Paratypes all from Queensland: 3 males taken with holotype; Daintree Ferry , 4 females from Calamus dead fronds, 4.viii.2004 ; Cairns, James Cook University campus, 1 female from dead rattan stem, 1 female from dead branches, 3.xi.2008 , 5 females and 1 male from dead rattan canes, 19.ix.2013; Julatten , 1 female from dead leaves, 6.viii.2004 ; Cape Tribulation , 6 males from dead rattan, 9.vii.1995 , 1 female in flight trap, x.1996, 4 females from dead rattan canes, 7-8.x.2012.

Comments. This species appears to live only on the dead leaves of the scrambling rattan palm, Calamus , and is known only from northern Queensland. It is similar in structure and sculpture to Carientothrips grayi from New Guinea, but that species is dark brown, with antennal segment III yellow only at the extreme base, the eyes are larger and slightly prolonged ventrally, the postocular setae acute, and the lateral wings of the pelta broadly attached to the median lobe. No other member of this genus is as strongly sculptured as calami .

Figures

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

FIGURES 21–30. Carientothrips species. Tergites VIII–X (tube): (21) snowi. Tergites IX–X (tube): (22) miskoi female, (23) calami. Antenna segments III–VIII: (24) horni, (25) reedi, (26) vesper, (27) magnetis, (28) pedicillus. Antennal segments III–IV: (29) acti, (30) pictilis.

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