Teuchothrips mooni, 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 : 470

Teuchothrips mooni sp.n.

( Figs 93–95 )

Female macroptera. Body and legs brown, all tarsi yellow, fore tibiae yellowish brown distally; antennal segments I and VII–VIII brown, III largely yellow, IV–VI brown with base pale; major setae all pale; fore wings very weakly shaded. Head longer than wide, with large polygonal reticulation on lateral thirds, postocular setae capitate and extending to posterior margin of eyes; maxillary stylets retracted to eyes, close together medially, maxillary guides stout ( Fig. 93 ). Antennal segment III almost twice as long as wide; segment IV with 3 stout sense cones; VIII short and distinct from VII. Pronotum with 5 pairs of major, capitate, setae, am setae smaller than aa setae. Fore legs stout, tibia inner apex slightly prolonged or with small tubercle, tarsal tooth stout and almost as long as tarsal width. Fore wing broad, with 10–15 duplicated cilia. Mesonotum transversely reticulate, lateral setal pair small and weakly capitate. Metanotum reticulate medially, major setal pair slender ( Fig. 94 ). Mesopresternum divided into 2 triangles weakly connected medially, metathoracic sternopleural sutures long. Pelta elongate and irregularly triangular, base flared; tergite IX setae S1 and S2 weakly capitate, almost as long as tube; tube margins slightly convex ( Fig. 95 ).

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 2340. Head, length 220; maximum width 200. Pronotum, length 200; width 325; epimeral setae 70. Fore wing, length 830; sub-basal setae S1 40, S2 60, S3 60. Tergite VIII posterolateral setae 100; tergite IX setae S1 135, S2 125; tube, length 170, basal width 90. Antennal segments I–VIII length (width): 45 (40), 40 (35), 65 (35), 65 (40), 60 (35), 60 (25), 60 (25), 25 (15).

Male macroptera. Similar to female in colour; pronotum longer; fore legs even larger than in female with tubercle on inner apex of tibiae; sternite VIII with no pore plate; tergite IX setae S2 short and stout, expanded at apex.

Measurements (paratype male in microns). Body length 2750. Head, length 250; width 195. Pronotum, length 310; width 390. Tergite IX setae S1 150, S2 50; tube, length 125, basal width 75.

Specimens studied. Holotype female, Queensland, Southwood Park, 400km west of Brisbane, from gall of undescribed eriococcid on Melaleuca pubescens ( = lanceolata ), 8.xi.2009 ( Lyn Cook ), in ANIC .

Paratypes: taken with holotype, 1 male, 1 female in ANIC , 2 females in QDPC ; Queensland, 68km east of Inglewood, 300km southwest of Brisbane , 1 female from gall on Melaleuca? decora , 1.x.2010 (Lyn Cook), in QDPC .

Comments. Another member of the ater -complex, with three sense cones on antennal segment IV and stylets close together in the head, but with the pronotal am setae small and capitate. The fore wing three sub-basal setae are almost equidistant from each other and arranged almost in a straight line, but the male sternite VIII lacks a pore plate. However, abdominal segment X, the tube, is particularly unusual in having the lateral margins weakly but distinctly convex.

Figures

FIGURES 88–95. Teuchothrips of Australia. T. miriwoong 88–90: (88) head & pronotum; (89) antenna; (90) metanotum & pelta. T. monga 91–92: (91) metanotum & pelta; (92) pronotum. T. mooni 93–95: (93) head & pronotum; (94) metanotum & pelta; (95) tergites IX–X.