Deplorothrips mongai, 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 : 215-216

Deplorothrips mongai sp.n.

( Figs 16 , 26 , 43 )

Male microptera: Body and all femora brown, tibiae light brown with tarsi paler, hind tibiae paler on inner distal third; antennal segments light brown, III paler in basal half.

Antennal segment VIII broad at base but slightly narrower than apex of VII ( Fig. 26 ); IV–VII with narrow pedicel; III and IV each with two sense cones. Head longer than wide ( Fig. 16 ), ocelli absent, cheeks with weak setae; vertex with little or no sculpture except near posterior margin; po setae long and capitate; maxillary pillars scarcely 30 microns long with the levers short and sharply curved mesad and dorsally, stylets wide apart, retracted scarcely one third of distance to level of po setae. Pronotum with strong median longitudinal apodeme, without sculpture; am setae minute, remaining setae capitate. Mesonotum almost without sculpture, lateral setal pair minute, wing lobe small with one or two small setae that are sometimes capitate. Metanotum without sculpture, median setal pair slender and acute. Fore femora stout, fore tarsal tooth almost as long as tarsal width, fore tibia with subapical tubercle. Prosternal ferna almost meeting medially, mesopraesternum eroded to two small sclerites. Pelta eroded, wider than long, weakly sculptured; tergites with no sculpture, II–VII with 2 pairs of very small, straight wing-retaining setae, lateral major setae capitate; tergite IX setae S1 weakly capitate, S2 short and pointed. Sternites IV–VI with faint areas of reticulation anterolaterally, VIII with transverse pore plate ( Fig. 43 ).

Measurements (holotype male in microns). Body length 1230. Head, length 150; width 130; po setae 40; longest cheek seta 12. Pronotum, length 140; width 175; major setae—am 5, aa 35, ml 35, epim 35, pa 35. Fore wing length 18. Tergite IX setae S1 35, S2 25. Sternite VIII pore plate dimensions 75 x 15. Tube length 85. Antennal segments III–VIII length 43, 40, 45, 38, 35, 25.

Female microptera: Similar to male apart from secondary sexual characters; slightly larger, with fore tarsal tooth smaller.

Material studied. Holotype male microptera, New South Wales, Monga Forest, from dead branch, 24.i.2013 ( LAM 5733 ).

Paratypes: 5 males, 16 females taken with holotype.

Comments. This species is closely similar to chydaeus , but has shorter antennae and sternite VIII of the male has a transversely elongate pore plate. Although described here as micropterous, the specimens have the wing lobe scarcely 20 microns long. A sample of both sexes from Eucalyptus dead branches and nuts, Tasmania, 17 Mile Plain, is closely similar to the type series, but has the wing lobe up to 35 microns long, and the tube and tergite IX setae also longer.

Figures

FIGURES 14 – 19. Deplorothrips species, head and thorax. Large males 14 – 17: (14) makrus holotype; (15) minaei holotype; (16) mongai holotype; (17) villosus. Prosternum 18 – 19: (18) deuae (holotype); (19) makrus.

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.

FIGURES 33 – 47. Deplorothrips species, metanotum and male sternites. (33) howei, large male, meso and metanotum. (34) regina, metanotum and tergites I – II. (35) retis, metanotum and pelta. (36) villosus, large male, metanotum and tergites I – II. (37) norfuki, holotype metanotum and tergites I – II. Male sternite VIII pore plate 38 – 44: (38) chydaeus; (39) deuae; (40) diaphorus; (41) howei; (42) makrus; (43) mongai; (44) villosus. (45) howei, male fore tarsus & tibia. Male sternites V – VI 46 – 47: (46) capitalis; (47) diaphorus.