Teuchothrips larrakia, Mound & Dang & Tree, 2023

Mound, Laurence A., Dang, Lihong & Tree, Desley J., 2023, Structural diversity among the leaf-feeding thrips of Australia in the genus Teuchothrips (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae) with 20 new species, Zootaxa 5383 (4), pp. 441-475 : 462

Teuchothrips larrakia sp.n.

( Figs 63–64 )

Female macroptera. Body and all femora brown, all tarsi yellow, mid and hind tibiae brown with apical fifth yellow, fore tibiae yellow except brown at base; antennal segment I brown, II yellow distally, III–VII yellow, VIII weakly shaded; major setae pale; fore wings uniformly pale, including base. Head longer than wide, genae convex, vertex covered with reticulate sculpture, postocular setae capitate and extending to posterior margin of eyes; maxillary stylets retracted almost to eyes, close together medially ( Fig. 63 ). Antennal segment III a little more than 2.0 times as long as wide; segment IV with 3 major sense cones; VIII short and almost confluent with VII. Pronotum covered with reticulate sculpture, with 5 pairs of rather short capitate major setae. Fore femora not enlarged, tarsal tooth sharply pointed and no more than one-third as long as tarsal width. Mesonotum irregularly reticulate, lateral setal pair small. Metanotum irregularly reticulate, major setal pair small and slender. Fore wing with 4 or 5 duplicated cilia. Mesopresternum reduced to 2 small triangles; metathoracic sternopleural sutures not long. Pelta broadly triangular with base flared; tergite IX setae S1 and S2 capitate, less than half as long as tube; tube margins straight.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 2250. Head, length 215; maximum width 215; compound eye dorsal length 85. Pronotum, length 165; width 300; epimeral setae 90. Fore wing, length 800; sub-basal setae S1 15, S2 20, S3 20. Tergite VIII posterolateral setae 55; tergite IX setae S1 65, S2 75; tube, length 165, basal width 75; anal setae, length 150. Antennal segments I–VIII length (width): 40 (40), 50 (30), 60 (30), 60 (35), 55 (35), 50 (30), 40 (25), 25 (15).

Male macroptera. Similar to female in colour and sculpture, fore tarsal tooth slightly larger ( Fig. 64 ); fore wing with 3 to 5 duplicated cilia; sternite VIII with transverse pore plate across median area of sternite; tergite IX setae S2 short and capitate.

Measurements (paratype male in microns). Body length 1700. Head, length 175; width 175. Pronotum, length 140; width 240. Tergite IX setae S1 85, S2 30. Tube, length 130, basal width 60; anal setae, length 150.

Specimens studied. Holotype female, Australia, Northern Territory, Darwin, from leaf gall on Planchonia careya [ Lecythidaceae ], 22.x.1997 (G. Bellis), in ANIC .

Paratypes: 7 females, 4 males taken with holotype.

Non-paratypes: Northern Territory, Humpty Doo , 1 female from Melaleuca flowers, 29.xii.1995 . Coburg Peninsula, Victoria Settlement , 4 females from curled leaf of Choricerus tricorne [ Picrodendraceae ], 28.i.1999 .

Comments. This species is one of the unusual members of the genus in having antennal segments III – V (or even VI) largely yellow. All specimens of the type series are mounted in Euparal, and thus rather distorted and with the body sculpture accentuated. The non-paratypic female from Humpty Doo has the femora and antennal segment II pale, and the sculpture on the head is less obvious than in the Euparal-mounted type series. The non-paratypes from Coburg Peninsula are similar in sculpture and colour to the type series, but have the fore wings shaded, and all the major setae distinctly longer, particularly laterally on the abdomen. It is possible that a series of similar species exists, each living on a different plant species in the tropical forests of northern Australia.

Figures

FIGURES 63–75. Teuchothrips of Australia. T. larrakia 63–64: (63) head & pronotum; (64) fore tarsus, male. T. leptospermum 65–67: (65) head & pronotum; (66) metanotum & pelta; (67) antenna. T. longiseta 68–70: (68) head & pronotum; (69) type slide; (70) metanotum & pelta. T. lutruwita 71–75: (71) antenna; (72) head; (73) metanotum & pelta; (74) prosternites; (75) tergites IX–X.