Anaphothrips atriplicis, Mound & Masumoto, 2009

Mound, Laurence A. & Masumoto, Masami, 2009, Australian Thripinae of the Anaphothrips genus-group (Thysanoptera), with three new genera and thirty-three new species, Zootaxa 2042 (1), pp. 1-76 : 19

Anaphothrips atriplicis sp. n.

( Figs 21–23 )

Female macroptera. Body and legs yellow, sometimes with light brown markings laterally on metascutum, also laterally and even medially on abdominal tergites III–VII; antennal segments I–II yellow, III–VI yellow with apex increasingly brown or VI entirely brown, VII–IX brown; fore wing pale; tergites VIII– X major setae light brown. Head wider than long; transverse reticulation behind eyes, ocellar region with little or no sculpture; eyes with 6 pigmented facets; ocellar and postocular setae weakly spatulate; ocellar setae III on anterior margins of ocellar triangle. Antennae 9-segmented, III–IV with apex weakly constricted, sensorium forked; II with no microtrichia; VI narrowed to base but not pedicellate ( Fig. 23 ). Pronotum with transverse lines of sculpture, all setae weakly spatulate. Metascutum reticulate; median setae spatulate ( Fig. 21 ), well back from anterior margin, lateral setae setaceous, MCS present. Fore wing first vein with about 9 setae on basal half and 5 setae distributed along distal half; second vein with about 12 setae; clavus with 6 veinal setae. Abdominal tergites II–VII with no sculpture medially, lateral lines not extending mesad of S2 and bearing small dentate microtrichia ( Fig. 22 ); VIII with long fine comb of microtrichia.

Measurements (holotype, in microns). Body length 1000. Head, length 70; width across eyes 135. Pronotum, length 85; maximum width 160. Fore wing, length 520; median width 40; first vein longest seta in basal row 10. Tergite IV S1 setae 10. Tergite IX, MD setae 8; PM S1 setae 30. Tergite X PM S1 setae 28. Antennal segments III–IX, 37, 32, 32, 30, 8, 8, 10.

Male macroptera. Similar to female; thoracic setae less thickened than female; tergite IX with two pairs of short stout setae medially; sternites III–VII with C-shaped pore plate.

Larvae II. Tergal setae trumpet-shaped; tergites with dense rows of plaques, tergite IX smooth, X mainly light brown.

Specimens examined. Holotype female macroptera, South Australia, North Adelaide Plains, Virginia, from Atriplex paludosa (Chenopodiaceae) , 12.i.2006 (G. Wood).

Paratypes: 9 females and larvae taken with holotype; same locality and date , 3 females 1 male from Rhagodia parabolica (Chenopodiaceae) ; New South Wales, Balranald , 8 females 5 males and larvae from leaves of Rhagodia sp. , 20.xii.2008.

Comments. In a few of the available specimens the sensorium on the third antennal segment is simple and relatively stout. The specimens from Rhagodia have the major setae on the pronotum more slender, and the tergites more frequently shaded, than the specimens from Atriplex . This species, or a group of similar species, is apparently widespread across the arid areas of Australia in association with the Chenopodiaceae plants commonly known as bluebush and saltbush. A few specimens that are similar to A. atriplicis but with more slender major setae have been seen from Kangaroo Island on Arthrocnemon, also from northern South Australia, and from Barrow Island in Western Australia.

Figures

FIGURES 13–23. Anaphothrips of Australia. A. aptilotus 13–16: (13) pterothorax and tergites I–II; (14) tergites VI–VIII; (15) male tergite IX; (16) antenna. A. astrolomi 17–20; (17) male tergite VIII–IX (Nomarski); (18) male tergite VIII–IX (phase-contrast); (19) antenna; (20) male sternites. A. atriplicis 21–23: (21) meso & metanotum; (22) tergites VI–VIII; (23) antenna.