Psalidothrips comosus, Zhao, Chao, Zhang, Hongrui & Tong, Xiaoli, 2018

Zhao, Chao, Zhang, Hongrui & Tong, Xiaoli, 2018, Species of the fungivorous genus Psalidothrips Priesner from China, with five new species (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripidae), ZooKeys 746, pp. 25-50 : 33-35

Psalidothrips comosus sp. n. Figs 3-4, 37-44, 68

Material examined.

Holotype female (macropterous): CHINA. Guangdong: Shenzhen City, Honghu Park (22°33'N, 114°07'E), collected from leaf litter of Araucaria heterophylla ( Araucariaceae ), 2.xi.2017 (Chao Zhao).

Paratypes.

13 macropterous females, 4 apterous females, and 6 apterous males, collected with holotype. Nineteen apterous females, 5 macropterous females, and 8 apterous males, collected at the same locality as holotype, 30.x.2014 (Chao Zhao).

Description.

Female macropterous (Fig. 3). Body yellow except for head, anterior and lateral margins of pterothorax, abdominal segment II dark brown; abdominal tergites III–VIII yellow with light brown shadings laterally; tube yellow with light brown basally. Wings shaded with greyish brown.

Head (Fig. 37) wider than long, faintly sculptured on posterior margin; cheeks almost straight or slightly widened towards base, but constricted behind eyes; eyes approximately 1/3 of head length; postocellar setae long and acute, approximately 1.5-2.0 times longer than the diameter of hind ocellus; postocular setae long and acute, approximately 2.0 times longer than eyes. Antennae 8-segmented (Fig. 44) and slightly moniliform, apical half of antennal segments III–VII with lines of sculpture; segment III vasiform, IV–V globular, segment VIII distinctly longer than segment VII; segments III–IV with 3 and 4 sense cones respectively. Maxillary stylets reaching approx. half way to postocular setae and wide apart.

Pronotum (Fig. 38) broad, surface smooth with a weak median longitudinal line; three pairs of major setae (ml, epim, pa) well developed, elongate and acute, aa setae fine and long, slightly shorter or subequal to interocular setae in length. Mesopresternum eroded with small irregular sclerites laterally. Fore wing sub-basal setae S1 shortest, S2 longer than S3. Fore tarsal tooth present (Fig. 39).

Pelta irregularly hat-shaped (Fig. 41), sculptured on anterior half, campaniform sensilla absent in holotype. Abdominal tergites II to VII each with one pair of straight wing-retaining setae (Fig. 42); tergite IX setae S1 and S2 long and acute, setae S1 as long as or slightly longer than S2, setae S2 longer than tube; tube slightly longer than head.

Female apterous. Similar to macropterous female in structure, but eyes smaller, approximately 1/4 of head length; postocellar setae approximately 2.5-3.5 times longer than diameter of hind ocellus; postocular setae elongate and acute, approximately 2.5 times longer than eyes.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Distended body length 1680. Head length 155, width 178; eye length 60; postocular setae length 120; diameter of posterior ocellus 20; postocellar setae length 50. Antennal length 360, segments I–VIII length (width) as follows: 35 (39); 45 (30); 57 (33); 40 (35); 37 (39); 40 (35); 35 (27); 55 (20). Pronotum median length 135, median width 260; length of major setae: aa 50, ml 90, pa 130, epim 95. Abdominal tergite IX S1 setae length 212, S2 setae length 200. Tube length 165, basal width 80, apical width 40; anals 100.

Male apterous (Fig. 4). Colour and chaetotaxy similar to apterous females, but femora thickened and fore tarsal tooth well developed (Fig. 40); pore plate on abdominal sternite VIII narrow and arched, nearly reaching lateral margins (Fig. 68); tergite IX setae S1 much longer than S2; setae S2 shorter than tube (Fig. 43).

Measurements (paratype male in microns). Distended body length 1620. Head length 165, width 170; eye length 40; postocular setae length 100; diameter of posterior ocellus 10; postocellar setae length 25. Antennal length 340, segments I–VIII length (width) as follows: 37 (38); 40 (28); 55 (28); 38 (32); 36 (33); 38 (30); 35 (25); 47 (17). Pronotum median length 125, median width 255; length of major setae: aa 35, ml 87, pa 120, epim 80. Abdominal tergite IX S1 setae length 135, S2 setae length 85. Tube length 125, basal width 70, apical width 33; anals 100.

Etymology.

Specific epithet from Latin comosus which means long haired, and refers to the new species having relatively long body setae.

Distribution.

China (Guangdong).

Comments.

This new species is similar to P. taylori Mound & Walker from Australia and New Zealand in sharing the elongate postocular setae, distinct pronotal aa setae, and only one pair of wing-retaining setae on abdominal tergites ( Mound and Walker 1986). However, it can be readily distinguished from the latter by the antennal segments III–VII with lines of sculpture, segments III–IV with three and four sense cones respectively, and a fore tarsal tooth present in both sexes. Campaniform sensilla are absent from the pelta of the holotype, but are present on the pelta of paratypes from the same population. This new species is also similar to the new species, P. angustus , as discussed above.