Thrips wellsae, Mound & Masumoto, 2005

Mound, Laurence A. & Masumoto, Masami, 2005, The genus Thrips (Thysanoptera, Thripidae) in Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand, Zootaxa 1020 (1), pp. 1-64 : 57-59

Thrips wellsae sp.n.

Diagnosis: Female with body, legs and antennae brown, tarsi yellow, antennal segment III scarcely paler brown than IV; forewings deeply shaded, base pale. Head broader than long; ocellar setae III short, arising behind first ocellus ( Fig. 106 ); postocular setae I about as long as side of ocellar triangle, III and V twice as long as II and IV. Antennae 8­segmented. Pronotum with weak transverse markings, 20–26 discal setae present each about as long as postocular setae I; postero­angular setae more than 0.6 as long as median length of pronotum; posterior margin with 3 pairs of setae, S1 almost 0.5 as long as postero­angular setae. Fore tarsus with pretarsal claw minute, commonly not visible. Mesonotum with sculpture lines near anterior campaniform sensilla. Metanotum ( Fig. 109 ) transversely striate at anterior but medially with irregular longitudinal reticulations or striae; median setae behind anterior margin, campaniform sensilla present. Forewing first vein with continuous row of 20 to 24 setae, second vein with 12–18 setae; clavus with terminal and subterminal setae subequal. Tergite II with 4 lateral margin setae; tergites IV–VI each with 3 lines of sculpture extending mesad of setae S2 ( Fig. 107 ); ctenidia present on tergites V–VIII, vestigial ctenidium sometimes present on IV, ctenidium on VIII terminating close to spiracle anterior to setae S3 ( Fig. 108 ); tergite VIII with posteromarginal comb complete but often irregular medially; tergite IX with anterior campaniform sensilla present, X with median split almost complete; sternite II with 2 pairs of marginal setae, sternites and pleurotergites with no discal setae.

Measurements of holotype female in microns, with smallest paratype female from same series in parentheses: Body length 1800 (1250). Head, length 100; width 160. Pronotum, length 135 (110); width 225; postero­angular setae 125 (65); median posteromarginal setae 55 (30). Forewing length 1000 (700). Antennal segments III–VIII length 70, 63, 42, 60, 15, 15 (43, 43, 30, 45, 8, 8).

Male brown, tergite VIII with comb sometimes absent, sternites III–VII with transverse glandular area.

Type material: Holotype female, Australia, New South Wales, Charlotte’s Pass, Mt Kosciuszko , in flower of Richea continentis , 25.xii.2004 (LAM 4515), in ANIC.

Paratypes: 17♀ 1♂ from same flower as holotype; same locality and date , 6♀ 1♂ from flowers of R. continentis (LAM 4513), 2♀ 2♂ from flowers of Leucopogon montanus (LAM 4514); same locality but 4.xii.2004 , 8♀ 10♂ from flowers of Epacris glacialis (LAM 4511), 8♀ 10♂ from flowers of Epacris paludosa (LAM 4512).

Breeding: This thrips was found in large numbers in early summer in the flowers of montane heathland plants near Mt Kosciuszko, New South Wales, in association with vast numbers of Thrips imaginis . This latter species occurred in the flowers of plants from many different families. In contrast, T. wellsae was found only in the flowers of four species of Epacridaceae , although larvae were not retrieved from any of them. The variation in body size between individuals from the same plant was very considerable, as indicated by the measurements of the female holotype and the smallest female paratype given above.

Distribution: Probably widespread in the montane areas of south­eastern Australia, specimens of both sexes that apparently represent this species have been studied that were swept from button grass moorland near Lake Peder, Tasmania.

Relationships: The position of the ctenidia on tergite VIII indicates that this is a member of the endemic Australian T. seticollis species­group. It is closely related to T. seticollis and to T. tomeus but has a dark third antennal segment and lacks a prominent pretarsal claw on the fore tarsus. Moreover, the metanotal sculpture and position of the median setae differ in these three species ( Figs 80 , 109 ).

Figures

FIGURES 106–109. Thrips species. T. wellsae 106–109: (106) Head & pronotum; (107) Tergites IV–V; (108) Tergites VII–VIII; (109) Meso­metanota.

FIGURES 72–83. Thrips species. T. palmi 72–74: (72) Head & pronotum; (73) Meso­metanota; (74) Tergites VI–VIII. T. parvispinus 75–76: (75) Meso­metanota; (76) Sternites V–VII. T. phormiicola 77–79: (77) Head & pronotum; (78) Meso­metanota; (79) sternites II–III. T. seticollis 80–83: (80) Meso­metanota; (81) Pronotum; (82) Tergites VI–VIII; (83) fore tarsus.