Oxythrips austropalmae, Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2011

Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2011, New records and four new species of Australian Thripidae (Thysanoptera) emphasise faunal relationships between northern Australia and Asia, Zootaxa 2764, pp. 35-48 : 36-38

Oxythrips austropalmae sp. n.

Female macroptera. Body bicoloured ( Fig. 1 ), abdomen brown but head, thorax and legs mainly yellow; antennal segments mainly brown, I–III varying from largely brown to largely yellow; forewings shaded with base sharply paler ( Fig. 7 ).

Head wider than long, cheeks slightly constricted behind eyes; vertex transversely striate/reticulate, including ocellar region ( Fig. 3 ). Three pairs of ocellar setae present, pair I sometimes arising one seta in front of the other, pair III arising just within anterior margins of triangle and scarcely longer than longitudinal diameter of an ocellus; five pairs of postocular setae close to posterior margin of eye, pair I as long as ocellar setae III. Compound eyes with no pigmented ommatidia. Maxillary palps 3-segmented. Antennae 8-segmented ( Fig. 2 ); segment I without dorsal apical setae; II–VI with rows of microtrichia: III–IV slender with apex constricted and short forked sensorium; sensoria on VI not extending beyond apex of segment.

Pronotum transversely striate/reticulate, with 30–40 small discal setae; one pair of elongate posteroangular setae, 4 pairs of posteromarginal setae ( Fig. 6 ). Prosternal basantra without setae, ferna almost complete medially, prospinasternum transverse; sternopleural sutures absent; mesofurcal spinula present, metafurca with no spinula. Mesonotum transversely striate/reticulate; anterior campaniform sensilla present ( Fig. 6 ); median setal pair near posterior margin. Metanotum boldly reticulate medially, laterally striate; median setae long, at anterior margin close to lateral setae; campaniform sensilla present, wide apart ( Fig. 6 ). Forewing apex pointed; first vein setal row extending to distal third of wing, with 12 to 15 setae, then a gap to 2 setae distally; second vein with continuous setal row; clavus with 5 veinal setae, one discal seta; cilia strongly wavy ( Fig. 7 ).

Abdominal terga without craspedum or ctenidia, but VIII with an irregular ctenidium-like row of microtrichia anterolateral to spiracle ( Fig. 4 ); terga V–VIII with no sculpture lines mesad of setal pair S2; tergum II with sculpture lines medially between setae S1 and the campaniform sensilla; terga III–VI posteroangular setae arise distant from posterior angles ( Fig. 4 ); VIII with long fine complete comb ( Fig. 5 ); tergum IX anterior and posterior campaniform sensilla present ( Fig. 5 ), mid-dorsal paired setae well developed; tergum X short with longitudinal split almost complete ( Fig. 5 ). Sternum II with 2 pairs of posteromarginal setae, III–VII with 3 pairs, median pair on VII in front of margin. Ovipositor well-developed, strongly serrated.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 1500. Head, length 115; median width across checks 165. Pronotum, length 145; maximum width 225; posteroangular setae length 65–70. Metanotal median setae length 80. Forewing length 850. Antennal segments III–VIII length, 73, 65, 48, 60, 8, 15.

Male macroptera. Similar to female but smaller, only abdominal segments VI–X brown, IV–V variable; antennal segments I–III and base of IV yellow; tergum VIII with complete comb, IX with median setal pair short and stout ( Fig. 8 ); sterna III–VII with transversely elongate pore plate ( Fig. 9 ).

Measurements (paratype male in microns). Body length 1200. Antennal segments III–VIII length, 65, 48, 38, 55, 8, 12.

Material studied. Holotype female, Australia, Queensland, Cape Tribulation, Coopers Creek, from flowers of Normanbyia normanbyi , 10.vii.1995 (LAM 2748).

Paratypes, 17 females taken with holotype; same locality and host, 9 females 10 males, 2.iv.2001 (S. Boulter); same locality, 17 females 7 males from flowers of Archontophoenix alexandrae , 9.vii.1995 (LAM 2745). Papua New Guinea, West New Britain, 11 females 8 males in male flowers of Cocos nucifera , 24.vii.1986.

Comments. This species has been found in very large numbers in the flowers of two species of palm trees in northern Queensland, also in the male flowers of coconut in New Britain. Each adult thrips was noted to carry a considerable pollen load on its surface, and judging from this the species is likely to prove to be an effective pollinator of these palm trees despite being unrecorded in the botanical literature.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. Oxythrips australopalmae. (1) Female; (2) Antenna; (3) Head; (4) Terga VII – VIII posterior margin lateral view; (5) Terga VII – X; (6) Male head & thorax; (7) Wing.

FIGURES 8 – 14. Oxythrips and Projectothrips. O. australopalmae male 8 – 9: (8) terga VIII – IX; (9) sterna VI-VIII. P. beverlyae 10 – 14: (10) head & thorax; (11) female; (12) male sterna V – VIII; (13) female terga VI – X; (14) antenna.