Sophiothrips martinae, Mound & Tree, 2014

Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2014, The minute, fungus-feeding species of Sophiothrips (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae) from Australia and New Zealand, Zootaxa 3860 (2), pp. 184-194 : 188-189

Sophiothrips martinae sp. n.

( Figs 4 , 11 , 16, 21 , 28, 29 )

Male aptera: Generally yellow but patterned with many light brown markings ( Fig. 4 ); head with posterior margin brown, also two brown spots between eyes and darker brown on interantennal region ventrally; antennal segment I yellow, also base of II–VI, rest brown; pronotum with two brown areas; all coxae, tibiae and tarsi brown, femora bicoloured; abdominal segments V–VII light brown medially; tube with apical ring dark; all setae pale.

Head wider than long, almost without sculpture except near posterior margin, with 2 pairs of postocular setae, one pair of ocellar setae; stylets not extending into head capsule; large male with small dark horn ventrally between bases of antennae. Antennal segment VIII broadly joined to VII ( Fig. 11 ); segments III and IV each with 2 sensoria but these vary in length, V and VI each with 3 longer sensoria. Pronotum almost without sculpture, median apodeme weak; am setae minute, aa shorter than ml, epim and pa setae; notopleural sutures complete. Large males with fore femora swollen and fore tarsal tooth large ( Fig. 4 ). Meso and metanota transverse, metanotum with one pair of prominent acute setae. Prosternal basantra faintly indicated, mesopresternum very slender, mesoeusternum entire. Pelta shape irregularly transverse ( Fig. 16 ), campaniform sensilla present; tergites with weak transverse sculpture, lateral pair of setae on II–VII short and stout; tergite IX with no dorsal marginal tubercle ( Fig. 29 ), setae shorter than tube, anal setae short. Sternites V–VI with paired anterolateral areas of faint specialized reticulation ( Fig. 21 ).

Measurements (holotype male in microns). Body length 1200. Head, length 110; width 140; ocellar setae 20; lateral postocular setae 15. Pronotum, length 175; width 235; major setae am 5, aa 20, ml 50, epim 40, pa 50. Metanotal major setae 25. Tergite VI posteroangular setae 30; tergite IX setae S1 55, S2 25, S3 60. Tube length 85. Sternite II marginal setae S1 25; sternite VIII marginal setae S1 40. Antennal segments III–VIII length 45, 40, 25, 30, 30, 20.

Female aptera: closely similar to male in colour and structure, head without ventral horn; fore tarsal tooth small; tergite IX setae S2 small and weak, and shorter than the pairs of intermediate (iS) tergal marginal setae ( Fig. 28 ); sternites without specialized reticulate areas.

Measurements (paratype female in microns). Body length 1170. Head, length 100; width 155. Pronotum, length 150; width 250; major setae epim 25, pa 25. Metanotal major setae 20. Tergite IX setae S1 45, iS 15, S2 10, S3 35. Tube length 85. Sternite II marginal setae S1 15; sternite VIII marginal setae S1 35.

Specimens studied: Holotype male, Norfolk Island, Palm Glen Track , dead Citrus jambhiri , 12.vii.2013 (Alice Wells).

Paratypes, all Norfolk Island, from dead branches: 2 males, 3 females taken with holotype; same locality, 1 male, 3 females, 23.xii.2012 ; Bird Rock Track , 3 males, 5 females, 25.xii.2012 ; Selwyn Pine Road , 1 male, 1 female, 24.xii.2012 , and 1 male, 1 female, 24.xii.2013; 100 Acre Reserve , 1 male, 1 female, 25.xii.2013 ; Mt Pitt , 1 male, 1 female, 22.xii.2013 ; Mission Road rainforest, 2 females, 23.xii.2013 .

Comments. In structure this species is closely similar to the New Zealand species, aleurodisci , but is startlingly different in being sharply bicoloured instead of uniformly brown. Moreover, the short setae S2 on tergite IX of females is a condition that is not recorded from any other species in this genus, and is certainly different from the condition in aleurodisci . The name martinae recognizes the contributions made by Mera Martin to the success of insect surveying studies on Norfolk Island.

Figures

FIGURES 1–7. Sophiothrips from Australia. Heads and pronota: (1) canberrae sp.n.; (2) darwini sp.n.; (3) greensladei; (4) martinae sp.n.; (5) mongae sp.n.; (6) placodes sp.n.; (7) postlei sp.n.

FIGURES 8–13. Sophiothrips from Australia, antennae. (8) canberrae sp.n.; (9) darwini sp.n. (10) greensladei; (11) martinae sp.n.; (12) placodes sp.n.; (13) postlei sp.n.

FIGURES 14–22. Sophiothrips from Australia. (14) canberrae sp.n., tergites I–III. Metanotum and pelta, 15–18: (15) darwini sp.n.; (16) martinae sp.n.; (17) mongae sp.n.; (18) placodes sp.n. Pro and mesosternites 19–20: (19) darwini sp.n.; (20) canberrae sp.n. (21) martinae sp.n. male sternite VI; (22) mongae sp.n. tergites V–VI.

FIGURES 23–29. Sophiothrips from Australia, tergite IX and tube. (23) darwini sp.n.; (24) greensladei; (25) mongae sp.n.; (26) placodes sp.n.; (27) postlei sp.n.; (28) martinae sp.n. female; (29) martinae sp.n. male.