Phaulothrips kranzae, Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2013

Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2013, Australian spore-feeding thrips of the genus Phaulothrips (Thysanoptera, Idolothripinae), Zootaxa 3608 (4), pp. 239-252 : 248-249

Phaulothrips kranzae sp.n.

( Figs 7 , 18 , 24 , 34 )

Macropterous female. Body, legs and antennae blackish brown ( Fig. 24 ), major setae pale to very weakly shaded, fore wing weakly shaded; tergites with pair of paler longitudinal areas laterally.

Head with cheeks almost straight, anterior margin with pair of prominent tubercles each bearing a pale blunt seta ( Fig. 18 ); postocular setae shorter than dorsal eye length, arising posterior to inner margins of eyes; maxillary stylets retracted almost to postocular setae, about one fifth of head width apart. Antennae 8-segmented; III and IV each with two sensoria, their length about 0.7 of apical width of the segment; V–VII with apex slightly prolonged ventrally; VII ventrally with short longitudinal row of small sensoria; VIII constricted at base.

Pronotum transverse, reticulate ( Fig. 34 ). Fore tarsal tooth pointed, length less than half tarsal width. Metanotum transverse, reticulate, median setae small. Prosternal ferna placed laterally, basantra large with median borders parallel; mesopraesternum transverse; metathoracic sternopleural sutures strongly recurved.

Pelta transverse fully across anterior margin of tergite II ( Fig. 7 ); III–V each with one pair of sigmoid wingretaining setae; tergites strongly reticulate, lateral setal pairs bluntly rounded to weakly capitate; tergite IX setae almost acute, shorter than tube; tube with straight margins weakly constricted near apex.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 4400. Head, length 600; median width 330; ocellar setae 100; postocular setae 90; postocular cheek setae 75. Pronotum, length 280; width 600; major setae—am 50, aa 75, ml 60, epim 125, pa 80. Metanotal median setae 60. Fore wing, length 1700; number of duplicated cilia 20–25. Pelta, length 140; width 580. Tergite IV lateral setae pair I 110, pair II 65. Tergite IX setae S1 300, S2 350. Tube length 580. Antennal segments III–VIII length 250, 150, 140, 110, 70, 80.

Micropterous female. Similar in colour and structure to macropterous female; postocular setae shorter, metascutum strongly transverse.

Measurements (paratype female collected with holotype, in microns). Body length 4500. Head, length 650; median width 320; ocellar setae 115; postocular setae 80; postocular cheek setae 65. Pronotum, length 280; width 550; major setae—am 40, aa 55, ml 35, epim 110, pa 75. Metanotal median setae 55. Fore wing length 300. Pelta, length 130; width 600. Tergite IV lateral setae pair I 100, pair II 50. Tergite IX setae S1 350, S2 330. Tube length 580.

Micropterous male. Similar in colour and structure to micropterous female; pronotum and fore femora more robust, fore tarsal tooth as long as tarsal width.

Measurements (paratype male collected with holotype, in microns). Body length 4020. Head, length 550. Pronotum, length 370; width 630; major setae—am 50, aa 70, ml 50, epim 100, pa 80. Metascutum, length 170; width 600. Fore wing, length 230. Tergite IX setae S1 280, S2 300. Tube length 500.

Specimens examined. Holotype female macroptera, South Australia, Adelaide Hills, Scott Creek, from Eucalyptus seed capsules, 28.xi.2005 (Brenda Kranz 1195b).

Paratypes (micropterae unless stated otherwise): South Australia: 3 females 3 males taken with holotype (and larvae); same locality, 2 female macropterae, 1 male microptera, 2.ix.2005. Adelaide, Stirling, 5 females 5 males from Eucalyptus seed capsules, 8.iv.2004; Adelaide, Mt Lofty, 1 male from Eucalyptus dead leaves, 22.xii.2005; Adelaide, Mt George, 1 female from Eucalyptus dead leaves, 9.1.2006; Kingston 15km west, 1 female 1 male from Eucalyptus nuts, 10.iii.2011; 5 km south of Salt Creek, Coorong, 1 female from dead Eucalyptus nuts 11.iii. 2011, 50km south of Salt Creek, Coorong, 1 male from dead Eucalyptus nuts 11.iii. 2011, 15km north of Kingston, 2 females 1 male from dead Eucalyptus nuts 10.iii. 2011, 50km south of Desert Camp Park, Keith, 4 female 3 male from dead Eucalyptus nuts 14.iii. 2011, 15km south of Murray Bridge, 1 male from dead Eucalyptus branches 14.iii.2011. Victoria, Mallacoota, 6 females 5 male from Eucalyptus nuts, 1.iv.2011. New South Wales, Tallaganda, 6 females 7 males from Eucalyptus nuts and dead twigs, viii & xi. 2006, and ii.2011; Chichester Dam, 1 female from Themeda , 26.xii.2000. Australian Capital Territory, Lowden Forest Park, 1 female 1 male, 27.ii.2011; Black Mtn, 5 female 4 male from Eucalyptus litter, xii.1960 & i.1961; 3 females 1 male, 30.iv.2011. Queensland, Brisbane Forest Park, 1 female 9.iii.2006, 5 females 7 males 22.iv.2011, 1 male from dead leaves 27.v.2011, 5 females and 6 males from dead Eucalyptus nuts, 27.ii.2011; Mt Coot-tha, The Gap, 10.iii.2006, 1 male from dead leaves, 31.xii.2006; Girraween National Park, 1 female from dead leaves, 29.xii.2011. Western Australia, 60km northeast of Narrogin, 4 females 5 males by insecticide fogging of Eucalyptus , x.2006.

Comments. The micropterae that were provisionally identified as sibylla by Mound (1974: 85) are here recognized as this new species. This identification was not possible until both wing morphs of kranzae were found living together, and thus confirmed that micropterae and macropterae have a similar broad pelta. In contrast, the pelta of both morphs of sibylla are here reported as having unusually small lateral wings ( Fig. 14 ). The fully winged morph of kranzae has been collected rarely, but the short winged morph is widespread across Australia in association with the seed capsules of various Eucalyptus species. The only other known member of the genus with the pelta un-lobed is anici . There is some variation among the available samples, such that the tube of the holotype is 0.96 as long as the head and that of paratypes from South Australia and New South Wales 0.95–1.0, whereas this ratio is 0.86–0.9 in specimens from Western Australia. Specimens from Queensland have the setae on tergite IX longer relative to the tube, and also have the epimeral setae shorter.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 10. Australian species of Phaulothrips. (1) barretti, antenna; (2) whyallae, antennal segments I – V; (3) daguilaris, antennal segments V – VIII; (4) flindersi, antennal segments V – VIII; (5) anici, pelta of macroptera; (6) anici, pelta of microptera; (7) kranzae, meso & metanotum, pelta & tergite II; (8) agrestis, pelta & tergite II; (9) whyallae, pelta & tergite II; (10) daguilaris, pelta.

FIGURES 11 – 20. Australian species of Phaulothrips. (11) flindersi, pelta; (12) inquilinus, pelta; (13) oakeyi, pelta; (14) sibylla, pelta; (15) agrestis, head; (16) inquilinus, pre-ocellar tubercles; (17) kingae, pre-ocellar tubercles; (18) kranzae, preocellar tubercles; (19) whyallae, pre-ocellar tubercles; (20) vuilleti, pre-ocellar seta;

FIGURES 21 – 29. Australian species (females) of Phaulothrips. (21) daguilaris; (22) fuscus; (23) inquilinus; (24) kranzae; (25) oakeyi; (26) uptoni; (27) vuilleti; (28) vuilleti, tube; (29) daguilaris, tube.

FIGURES 30 – 35. Australian species of Phaulothrips. Prosternal basantra, ferna and mesopraesternum 30 – 33: (30) daguilaris, (31) flindersi, (32) oakeyi - female, (33) oakeyi - large male. Pronotum 34 – 35: (34) kranzae, (35) oakeyi.