Adrothrips lihongae, Mound & Tree & Wells, 2022

Mound, Laurence A., Tree, Desley J. & Wells, Alice, 2022, Convoluted maxillary stylets among Australian Thysanoptera Phlaeothripinae associated mainly with Casuarinaceae trees, Zootaxa 5190 (3), pp. 301-332 : 310

Adrothrips lihongae sp.n.

( Figs 6 , 15 , 30 )

Female macroptera. Body light brown, with pale markings behind eyes and laterally on pronotum and tergites II–IV; antennal segment III yellowish on basal half; tarsi yellow, also apices of hind tibiae and inner margin of hind femora; tube darkest at apex; fore wings pale; major setae all pale except wing retaining setae on tergites II and III. Head longer than wide, eyes well developed, postocular setae minute; vertex transversely reticulate with markings internal to each reticle. Maxillary stylets retracted into eyes, crossing over near ocelli then re-crossing at occipital ridge, each with one large circle before extending parallel to each other into the mouth cone ( Fig. 15 ). Antennae rather slender, segment III simple at base ( Fig. 6 ) and with a single sense cone that is almost as long as apical width of segment, IV with 2 sense cones, apex of V weakly asymmetric. Pronotum with weak, complicated reticulation, anteromarginal and midlateral setae minute. Metanotum irregularly reticulate, reticles with internal markings, bearing about 20 small setae. Mesopresternum complete but weakly sclerotised and slender medially where the anterior margin of the mesoeusternum projects forwards ( Fig. 30 ). Fore tarsal tooth small, fore tibiae simple. Fore wing sub-basal setae minute. Pelta reticulate; anterior pair of wing-retaining setae reduced on each tergite, both pairs reduced on VII; tergite IX setae capitate and shorter than basal width of tube; tube twice as long as basal width, similar to latrarei .

Measurements (holotype female macroptera in microns). Body length 2300. Head, length 300; width medially 250; po setae 20. Pronotum, length 165; width 320; major setae – am 12, aa 25, ml 12, epim 25, pa 25. Fore wing length 750; sub-basal setae 12. Tergite IX setae S1 35, S2 50. Tube, basal width 75, length 150. Antennal segments III–VIII length 75, 70, 60, 60, 25, 25.

Female microptera. Colour similar to macropterae but antennal segment III and tergites more extensively brown; base of antennal segment III more robust and less tapered than macropterae; head with ocelli reduced; pronotal am setae not distinguished from discal setae; metanotum almost transverse, with discal setae weakly capitate; fore wing lobe about 0.3 as long as thorax width; pelta wider than long, almost D-shaped; tergites with about 20 setae in median transverse row.

Specimens studied. Holotype female macroptera, South Australia, Coorong , from base of grasses, 3.x.2013 (Dang Lihong 77), in ANIC.

Paratypes: South Australia, Ngarkat Conservation Park, 1 female macroptera from dead wood, 4.x.2013 ( DJT 1678 ); Mt Remarkable , Alligator Lodge, 1 female microptera under bark of dead Eucalyptus , 14.iii.2011 (G. Monteith), in QDPC . Western Australia, 60km northeast of Narrogin , 1 female macroptera by insecticide fogging of Eucalyptus tree, x.2006 (A. Lyons), in ANIC .

Comments. Within the genus, this species shares only with latrarei sp.n. the presence of a sense cone on the third antennal segment, but as indicated above, as well as in the key, these two differ considerably in structure and colour. The mesopresternum is particularly similar to that of akanthus . None of the four available specimens have been collected from any she-oak species, each of them being taken by beating or insecticide fogging on dead branches. As with some other members of Adrothrips , this species apparently is widely distributed across this continent. The female from Ngarkat, not far from the type site, is considerably smaller than the holotype (body length 1950 microns).

Figures

FIGURES 2–10. Adrothrips species antennae. (2) aureus; (3) cotteri; (4) intermedius; (5) latrarei; (6) lihongae; (7) madiae; (8) vernoni; (9) westoni; (10) mitchelli.

FIGURES 11–19. Adrothrips heads. (11) acanthus; (12) aureus; (13) cotteri; (14) intermedius; (15) lihongae; (16) latrarei; (17) madiae; (18) systenus; (19) westoni male.

FIGURES 28–39. Adrothrips prosternites and abdomen. (28) cotteri; (29) latrarei; (30) lihongae; (31) vernoni; (32) akanthus; (33) aureus; (34) cotteri; (35) intermedius; (36) mitchelli; (37) systenus; (38) vernoni; (39) westoni.