Ensiferothrips wallacei, Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2016

Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2016, Genera of the leaf-feeding Dendrothripinae of the world (Thysanoptera, Thripidae), with new species from Australia and Sulawesi, Indonesia, Zootaxa 4109 (5), pp. 569-582 : 578

Ensiferothrips wallacei sp.n.

Female macroptera: Body light brown, femora and tibiae bicoloured, tarsi yellow; fore wing first vein with 5 large, black major setae, costal setae and apical seta also dark; enlarged major setae on head and pronotum much paler. Head with numerous small tubercles ( Fig. 26 ), transversely reticulate posterior to ocellar triangle; ocellar setae pair III with longitudinal ridges, pairs I and II clearly fringed. Pronotum reticulate ( Fig. 26 ), posteromarginal setae pairs I, III and IV longitudinally ridged, much larger than pair II; discal setae flattened and fringed. Metanotal median setae flattened and fringed. Fore wing veinal setae longitudinally ridged and fringed, costal setae smaller but flattened and fringed ( Fig. 27 ). Tergite lateral thirds transversely reticulate with many small tubercles ( Fig. 25 ). Sternite VII with all 3 pairs of setae arising in front of margin.

Measurements (female holotype in microns). Body length 800. Head, length 60; width across eyes 130; ocellar setae III 35. Pronotum, length 75; width 150; posteromarginal setae III and IV 35. Fore wing length 500. Antennal segments III–IX length 25, 20, 20, 18, 7, 7, 12.

Material studied. Holotype female, Indonesia, Sulawesi Utara, Dumoga Bone N.P., 8.ii.1985, by insecticide fogging in lowland forest (BM 1985-10), in BMNH.

Paratypes: 3 females taken with holotype.

Comments. The structural similarity to the Australian species primus is remarkable (see Mound 1999). More than 100 specimens of primus have been studied (in ANIC), taken at various sites in eastern New South Wales and southeast Queensland, as well as Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island and New Caledonia, and usually from the leaves of species of Streblus spp or Trophis scandens [ Moraceae ]. The fore wing chaetotaxy of these specimens has been found to be consistent, with only one large black seta on the basal stem of the fore wing first vein, in contrast to the two such setae in wallacei . Moreover, this new species was collected more than 3000 km north of the known range of primus .

Figures

FIGURES 20 – 27. Dendrothripinae. (20) Dendrothrips williamsi head and pronotum. 21 – 24 Ensiferothrips lamingtoni: (21) head and pronotum; (22) meso and metanotum; (23) antenna; (24) tergites III – VI. 25 – 27 Ensiferothrips wallacei: (25) tergites III – VII; (26) head and pronotum; (27) fore wing.