Deplorothrips virgulatus, Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2016

Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2016, Australian mycophagous species of the genus Deplorothrips (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae), Zootaxa 4208 (3), pp. 201-220 : 219-220

Deplorothrips virgulatus sp.n.

( Figs 5 , 31 )

Female aptera: Body and femora light brown, tube darkest, head yellow between eyes; all tarsi and tibiae yellow, antennal segments I and II light brown, III yellow in basal half, IV–VIII dark brown.

Antennal segment VIII broadly joined to VII ( Fig. 31 ), only 2 sense cones on each of III and IV. Head slightly longer than wide (cf. Fig. 5 ), without ocelli or reticulation; cheeks with one pair of small stout setae; po setae long and capitate; mouth cone rounded; maxillary pillars slender and about 40 microns long, maxillary levers rotated medially, stylets retracted anterior to occipital ridge. Pronotum transverse, without sculpture, major setae capitate, although am setae short. Mesonotum with weak transverse reticulation, lateral setal pair capitate. Metanotum without sculpture on anterior half, with longitudinal sculptured ridges on posterior half, major setal pair finely pointed. Fore tarsus with small tooth. Prosternal ferna not meeting medially, mesopraesternum eroded to 2 sclerites. Pelta broadly rounded, sculpture faint; tergites with 2 pairs of small straight wing-retaining setae; setae S1 and S2 on IX weakly capitate.

Measurements (holotype female aptera in microns). Body length 1350. Head, length 150; width 130; po setae 40. Pronotum, length 100; width 190; major setae—am 10, aa 20, ml 20, epim 25, pa 25. Mesonotal lateral seta 20. Tergite IX setae S1 65, S2 75. Tube length 90. Antennal segments III–VIII length 40, 38, 40, 35, 35, 25.

Male aptera: Small male similar to female; large male with larger fore tarsal tooth and fore tibia with tubercle on inner apex; metanotum more strongly sculptured, posterior ocelli weakly developed ( Fig. 5 ); tergite IX setae S2 short and stout; sternite VIII without a pore plate, but III–V laterally with paired transverse rows of specialised reticulation.

Material studied. Holotype female aptera, Northern Territory, Darwin, Holmes Jungle , from dead branches, 8.v.2014 ( LAM 6014 ).

Paratypes: 2 male apterae taken with holotype.

Comments. As indicated in the key, the colour of the head is unique in this species, and the male has no pore plate on sternite VIII. The longitudinal sculpture on the metanotum is more strongly developed in the large male ( Fig. 5 ) than in the smaller male and female holotype. Similar but weaker sculpture has been noted on the metanotum in large males of norfuki from Norfolk Island. Apart from this, virgulatus is a typical member of the genus, with the stylets scarcely retracted anterior to the occipital ridge, and the fore tibiae of males with a small tubercle on the inner apex.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. Deplorothrips species, head and thorax. (1) villosus holotype; (2) diaphorus female macroptera; (3) paspalus holotype; (4) regina holotype; (5) virgulatus male paratype; (6) makrus female macroptera; (7) norfuki holotype.

FIGURES 20 – 32. Deplorothrips species, antennae. (20) diaphorus, macroptera, segments IV – VIII ventral; (21) chydaeus; (22) deuae (holotype); (23) howei; (24) makrus; (25) minaei; (26) mongai; (27) norfuki; (28) paspalus; (29) regina; (30) retis; (31) virgulatus; (32) villosus.