Androthrips huanglianensis, Wang & Duan & Li & Zhang, 2025

Wang, Chen, Duan, Bansuo, Li, Yajin & Zhang, Hongrui, 2025, Studies on the genus Androthrips from China, with a new species and a new synonym (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripinae), Zootaxa 5716 (1), pp. 139-145 : 140-142

Androthrips huanglianensis sp. nov.

( Figs 1 , 5, 8–16, 21, 24)

Female macroptera. Body brown ( Fig. 1 ), apical half of antennal segment II and III–VI yellow, segments VII–VIII scarcely yellowish brown; all tibiae and tarsi yellow, fore femur with extreme apex yellow; wings hyaline, hind wing with a dark line from base to apex, but with a short light break at middle; major setae yellowish.

Head 1.2 times as long as broad ( Fig. 9 ), broadest across eyes, dorsal surface smooth, weakly reticulated laterally; compound eyes normal about 0.4 times as long as head length; cheeks sub-parallel with three pairs of small setae; ocelli developed, all ocellar setae small and acute; postocular setae shorter than eyes, apices blunt but not expanded; other dorsal setae small and acute; maxillary stylets wide apart, more than half as wide as head width, scarcely retracted to postocular setae, maxillary bridge well developed. Antennae (Fig. 5), 1.8 times as long as head; segments III and IV each with (1+2) and (2+2 +1) sense cones respectively (Fig. 8); segment VIII slender and not constricted at base.

Pronotum about 0.8 times as long as head ( Fig. 12 ), almost smooth, with a median apodeme about one-third as long as pronotum length; 4 pairs of major setae well developed with apices slightly expanded, anteromarginal setae reduced to small setae. Prosternal basantra much wider than long with strong reticulation ( Fig. 13 ), and ferna approximately triangle with weak sculpture. Mesonotum reticulate ( Fig. 14 ), lateral setae long with apices slightly expanded; mesopresternum complete with weak sculpture and boat-shaped ( Fig. 16 ). Metanotum with irregular longitudinal reticulation ( Fig. 14 ), median setae long and pointed. Fore femur enlarged with a strong basal tubercle at inner margin ( Fig. 11 ), with several small tumors before the basal tubercle, fore tibia with an apical flat scale at inner margin and fore tarsal tooth stout ( Fig. 10 ). Fore wings with sub-basal wing setae B1 and B2 capitate apically, B3 setae pointed but not acute apically, and with 4–6 duplicated cilia.

Pelta trapezoid ( Fig. 15 ), apical and basal parts reticulated, median part smooth, with one pair of campaniform sensilla; tergite II reticulate at anterior half ( Fig. 15 ), tergites III–VIII smooth, tergite IX with weak reticulation; tergites III–VIII each with one pair of capitate major setae on posterior margin and one pair on posterior angles, but tergite II only with one pair on posterior margin; tergites II–VII each with 2 pairs of sigmoid wing-retaining setae; tergites II–IX each with one pair of campaniform sensilla; tergite IX setae S1 and S2 pointed but not acute, S3 acute, intermediate setae acute and about half length of S1; tube shorter than head, anal setae longer than tube.

Measurements ( holotype female macroptera in microns). Body length 2082. Head, length 212; maximum width 173; postocular setae 73; mid-dorsal setae 5. Pronotum, length 168; maximum width 262; major setae-aa 38, ml 58, epim 78, pa 80. Mesonotal lateral setae 36. Metanotal median setae 25. Fore wing length 836, sub-basal setae- S1 50, S2 62, S3 109. Tergite IX setae, S1 90, intermediate seta 45, S2 138, S3 142. Tube length 144, basal width 66. Anal setae 215. Antennal segments III–VIII length (width) 62(32), 63(33), 54(28), 48(24), 44(17), 37(11).

Male macroptera. Very similar to female but a little smaller, fore femur distinctly enlarged, pelta with more reticulation, tergite IX setae pair S2 about two-third length of S1.

Measurements ( paratype male macroptera in microns). Body length 1915. Head length 203. Pronotum length 159. Tube length 134. Tergite IX setae S1 75, S2 50.

Specimens examined. Holotype female macroptera, CHINA, Yunnan, Honghe City , Lvchun County, Huanglian Mountain ( N22°39'17" E102°20'27", 1026m), from aerial roots of bamboo, 21.V.2024, collected by Chen Wang.

Paratypes: one female and two males macropterae collected together with holotype .

Etymology. The name refers to the type locality of the new species, Huanglian Mountain.

Comments. This species is similar to Androthrips monsterae ( Moulton, 1940) in having all tibiae and tarsi yellow, with the mid and hind femora brown. It differs, however, in the following characters: dorsal surface of head smooth; pronotal aa setae much shorter than ml setae; metanotum with only one pair of median setae; tergites III–VIII smooth. Unlike other Androthrips species, which are associated with leaf galls induced by other insects, A. huanglianensis was collected on aerial roots of bamboo, together with a large population of Bamboosiella . Its feeding behaviour and life history remain unknown.

FIGURES 5–8. Antennae. (5) A. huanglianensis . (6) A. monsterae . (7) A. ramachandrai . (8) A. huanglianensis , antenna segments III–IV.

Figures

FIGURES 1–4. Androthrips species. (1) A. huanglianensis, female macroptera. (2) paratype of A. guiyangensis, female, macroptera. (3) A. monsterae, female, macroptera. (4) A. ramachandrai, female, macroptera.

FIGURES 9–16. A.huanglianensis. (9) head; (10) apical fore tibia & fore tarsus; (11) inner margin of fore femur; (12) pronotum; (13) prosternite; (14) meso & metanotum; (15) pelta & tergite II; (16) mesopresternum.