Odontothrips moringa, Tyagi, Kaomud & Kumar, Vikas, 2016

Tyagi, Kaomud & Kumar, Vikas, 2016, A new record of Holarctic genus Odontothrips (Thysanoptera, Thripidae) from India with a new species, Zootaxa 4067 (4), pp. 484-488 : 487-488

Odontothrips moringa sp. n.

Female macroptera. Body dark brown including legs except yellow tarsi, fore tibiae and apex of fore femora ( Figs 1–2 ). Antennal segments I–II brown, III yellow, IV–V brown apically with basal ¼ yellow and VI–VIII brown. Fore wing brown at the extreme base and distal ¾ and basal 1/3 of clavus, and remaining basal part of wing pale. Head 1.16 times as broad as long, with transverse lines of sculpture, three pairs of ocellar setae present; ocellar III situated between the fore and hind ocelli, longer than other head setae; 5 pairs of postocular setae arranged in a one row, po1 and po2 smaller than other postoculars ( Fig. 3 ). Eyes with 5 pigmented facets. Mouthcone rounded, reaching to the anterior margin of fore coxae. Antennae 8–segmented, segment I with a pair of median dorsal apical setae; segments III and IV each with a forked sense cone; segments III–VI with rows of microtrichia dorsally and ventrally; base of sense cone of segment VI more than 0.7 as long as total length of this sense cone and with one additional sense cone on outer margin; segment VIII longer than VII ( Fig. 10 ). Pronotum 1.15 times as broad as long, with 2 pairs of posteroangular setae. Ferna entire, not divided ( Fig. 14 ). Mesonotum with transverse striae, with anteromedian campaniform sensilla; median pair of setae close to posterior margin ( Fig. 12 ). Metascutum with very faint line of sculpture medially and longitudinally striae laterally; median pair of setae situated at the anterior margin, a pair of campaniform sensilla present. Fore tibia with two ill-formed (sometimes not visible) tubercles and fore tarsus without tubercles and claws ( Figs. 8–9 ). Fore wing first vein with 4+14 basal setae and 2 distal setae; second vein with complete row of setae, with about 16 setae; clavus with 5 marginal and one discal seta, apical seta of clavus longer than subapical seta ( Fig. 5 ). Abdominal tergite I with transversely reticulate sculpture; tergites IV–VIII without sculpture mesad of seta pair S2; posterior margin of tergite VIII with comb but interrupted in middle ( Fig. 15 ). Tergite IX with two pairs of campaniform sensilla ( Fig. 11 ).

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 2090. Head, length 155; width across eyes 160; width across cheeks 174. Ocellar setae III length 74–82. Pronotum, length 200, maximum width 237; posteroangular setae length outer 83, inner 85. Metanotum median setae length 100. Fore wing, length 1000. Tergite IX, MD 62; S1 146. Antennal segments I–VIII length 30, 51, 72, 70, 47, 64, 13, 24; sensorium on antennal VI length 31, length of base 25.

Male macroptera. Body colour similar to female ( Fig. 2 ). Tergite IX with a pair of stout dark processes laterally ( Fig. 13 ). Genitalia with one pair of endothecal spines supported by canaliculi as in O. karnyi Priesner ; lateral margin of ventral paramere with two clusters of 4–8 spines each ( Figs. 6–7 ).

Measurements (paratype male in microns). Body length 1590. Head, length 170; width across eyes 156. Ocellar setae III length 66. Pronotum, length 160, maximum width 180; Antennal segments I–VIII length 30, 43, 63, 61, 46, 58, 10, 18; sensorium on antennal VI length 33, length of base 25.

Material studied. Holotype female (macroptera), INDIA, Rajasthan, Udaipur District: village Ishwal (24º43'01.0" N 073º37'79.4'E, 2500 feet) from flowers of Moringa sp., 30.xii.2014, Kumar & Tyagi (Reg. 7125/H17). Paratypes: 10 females, 5 males with same data as holotype, (Registration No. 7126/ H17 to 7140/H17). Twenty females and 10 males are not mounted and preserved at -20 ºC for molecular work. Holotype and paratypes deposited in the National Zoological Collections (NZC), Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, India.

Etymology. This new species is named after its host plant Moringa .

Comments. This new species runs to couplet 16 in the key to species of Odontothrips by Pitkin (1972), but is then distinguished by the colour of the fore wing. It is closely similar to the small form of the North African species O. karnyi Priesner , in the absence of fore tarsal tubercles, and the male genitalia with one pair of endothecal spines supported by canaliculi. However, it is distinguished from karnyi by having two pairs of clusters with 4–8 spines on lateral sides of the ventral paramere, and setae S1 on tergite IX are subequal to S2 and situated at the posterior margin of the tergite. In comparison, karnyi lacks clusters of spines on the ventral paramere, and on tergite IX setae S1 are shorter than S2 and placed ahead of the posterior margin.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 5. Odontothrips moringa. (1) female; (2) Male and female in copulation; (2) female; (3) Head and pronotum, female; (4) Meso- & metasterna, female; (5) fore wing, female.

FIGURES 6 – 11. Odontothrips moringa. (6 – 7) genitalia, male; (8 – 9) fore leg, female; (10) antenna, female; (11) Tergites IX – X, female.

FIGURES 12 – 15. Odontothrips moringa. (12) Meso- & metanota, female; (13) Tergites IX – X, male; (14) Prosternum, female; (15) Tergite VIII, female.