Bhattithrips borealis, Mound, Laurence A., 2009

Mound, Laurence A., 2009, New taxa and new records of Australian Panchaetothripinae (Thysanoptera, Thripidae), Zootaxa 2292, pp. 25-33 : 31

Bhattithrips borealis sp.n.

Female macroptera. Body light brown to yellow, legs and antennae yellow, forewing pale with base and veins slightly yellow. Head strongly reticulate, cheeks almost parallel but sharply constricted to basal neck ( Fig. 9 ); ocellar hump scarcely overhanging inter-antennal region; without major setae. Antennae slender, 6- segmented, V–VII closely fused, VIII distinct ( Fig. 8 ); sensoria on III and IV short and simple. Pronotum with two transverse bands of round to oval reticulation ( Fig. 9 ). Mesonotum with complete median longitudinal division. Metanotal median triangle weakly indicated; median reticles elongate with thick flattened walls, medial setae minute. Meso and metathoracic furca transverse. Forewing base broad ( Fig. 12 ), veinal setae scarcely larger than microtrichia; costal cilia longer than wing width. Abdominal tergite II with pair of submedian transverse depressions filled with microtrichia, laterally these depressions are very weakly S-shaped ( Fig. 10 ); tergites III–VII with paired lateral invaginations filled with microtrichia that also extend medially onto sculpture lines ( Fig. 11 ); III–VIII with pair of sigmoidal setae (weak on VIII) ( Figs 10, 11 ); VII–VIII with one setae medially on antecostal ridge ( Fig. 11 ); IX with setae S2 about twice as long as S1, but S3 almost half as long as X; tergite X asymmetric, median split complete, terminal setae minute. Sternites with setae arising almost at margin; III–VII with paired circular, stoutly walled, invaginations at dorso-ventral muscle insertions.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 1370. Head, length 160; width across eyes 175. Pronotum, length 125; maximum width 200. Forewing length 630; longest costal seta 10. Tergite IX setae S1 20. Tergite X setae S1 10. Antennal segments I–VII length 25, 40, 75, 55, 85, 30.

Specimens studied. Holotype female, Australia, Northern Territory, Humpty Doo, from grasses, 15.v.1999 (LAM 3713).

Paratypes: 5 females taken with holotype; same locality, 1 female from grasses, 28.vi.2000.

Comments. Although closely related to B. dahmsi , this new species differs in the far more slender form of the antennae, and also in having antennal segment VIII distinct although V–VII are fused ( Figs 8 , 18 ). This is the only species in the genus in which microtrichia extend along the lines of sculpture on the tergites from the sub-median muscle insertion depressions ( Fig. 11 ).

Figures

FIGURES 7 – 12. Bhattithrips borealis. (7) female. (8) antenna. (9) head and pronotum. (10) abdominal tergites I – III.

FIGURES 13 – 18. Bhattithrips species. (13) B. pitkini tergites II – III. (14) B. frontalis tergites I – III. B. dahmsi 15 – 18: (15) tergites I – III; (16) meso and metanota; (17) tergites IV – VIII; (18) antenna.