Terthrothrips strasseni, Dang & Mound & Qiao, 2014

Dang, Li-Hong, Mound, Laurence A. & Qiao, Ge-Xia, 2014, Conspectus of the Phlaeothripinae genera from China and Southeast Asia (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripidae), Zootaxa 3807 (1), pp. 1-82 : 73-74

Terthrothrips strasseni sp.n.

Female hemimacroptera (holotype). Body colour light brown to brown; antenna brown with median segments slightly pale; legs largely light brown with extreme apices of mid- and hind tibiae pale; wings shaded with gray brown; major setae brownish.

Head about 1.5 times as long as wide ( Fig. 98 ); dorsal surface weakly sculptured laterally and posteriorly; eyes equally developed dorsally and ventrally, postocular setae about as long as eyes, expanded at apex; cheeks rounded, incut just behind eyes; mouth-cone short and rounded, stylets just retracted into head, wide apart; antenna 8- segmented, segment VIII about as long as VII ( Fig. 101 ), but shorter than VI, segments III–IV each with 1+2 sensoria, V–VI each with 1+1, VII with 1 ventrally.

Pronotum almost smooth ( Fig. 98 ), with three pairs of major well-developed capitate setae, am and aa reduced, notopleural sutures complete; basantra present, but weak, paired ferna well-developed. Mesonotum with pair of minute lateral setae; mesopresternum slightly boat-shaped, with prospinasternum developed. Metanotum smooth with polygonal reticulation laterally, pair of median setae acute; sternopleural sutures absent. Fore tarsal tooth large, fore tibiae without tubercles on inner margin; fore wing parallel-sided, three pairs of sub-basal capitate setae almost equally developed, without duplicated cilia.

Pelta irregularly hat-shaped, indistinctly sculptured, campaniform sensilla present; tergites II–VII each with two pairs of wing-retaining setae ( Fig. 103 ), posterior pair larger than anterior pair; tergite VIII with anterior pair of wing-retaining setae present ( Fig. 103 ); tergite IX with posteromarginal setae S1 slightly longer than S2, expanded or blunt at apex, slightly shorter than tube, setae iS longer than half of S1, S3 shorter and acute ( Fig. 103 ); tube shorter than head, anal setae much shorter than tube; sternites II–VIII with tramsverse row of 10–18 long discal setae ( Fig. 102 ), VIII with pair of stout median posteromarginal setae.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 1765; head length 215, width across eyes 135, across cheeks just behind eyes 115; eye length 70, postocular setae 75; antenna length 510, segments I–VIII length (width): 45(35), 45(30), 85(25), 85(25), 82(20), 55(15), 40(15), 42(10), sensorium on segment III length 55. Pronotum median length (width) 105(200), major setae length: ml 75, epim 70, pa 75. Wing length 700, sub-basal setae: 55, 65, 65. Pelta length 75; tergite IX posteromarginal setae S1–S3 length: 90, 85, 80, iS length 65; tube length 105, basal width 55, apical width 30, anal setae length 50.

Male hemimacroptera. Very similar in color and structure to female, but smaller; tergite IX with only two pairs of long capitate or blunt posteromaginal setae [the homology of these setae is not clear, but S2 appears to be minute with S1 and S3 elongate]; sternites without pore plate.

Measurements (paratype male in microns). Body length 1460. Head length 200, width across eyes 125, across cheeks just behind eyes 110; eye length 60, postocular setae 55; antenna length 440, segments I–VIII length (width): 35(35), 40(25), 75(20), 75(25), 75(20), 45(15), 35(15), 40(10), sensorium on segment III length 40. Pronotum median length (width) 95(180), major setae length: ml 60, epim 50, pa 60. Wing length 605, sub-basal setae: 45, 50, 50. Pelta length 65; tergite IX posteromarginal setae S1–S3 length: 70, 10, 70, iS length 45; tube length 85, basal width 45, apical width 30, anal setae length 45.

Specimens studied. Holotype female, Indonesia, Java, Bogor Gardens , from leaf litter, 19.x.1973 (LAM 1124), in The Natural History Museum, London.

Paratypes: 2 females, 1 male collected with holotype ; 17 females, 5 males with same data but different dates (20, 29, 31.x.1973) .

Comments. This new species is very similar to ananthakrishnani, but it can be distinguished because the dorsal surface is almost smooth, and antennal segment VIII is shorter than VI and terminates with a very long seta ( Fig. 101 ).The fore tibiae have no tubercles on the inner margin ( Fig. 98 ), and setae iS between S1 and S2 on tergite IX are well-developed ( Fig. 103 ). In contrast, in ananthakrishnani the dorsal surface is sculptured and reticulate, antennal segment VIII is large and longer than VI ( Figs 99, 100 ), the fore tibiae have a series small tubercles on the inner margin, and setae iS on tergite IX are small. Furthermore, the body size of ananthakrishnani is much larger than that of strasseni . This species is named in recognition of the many years of support provided by the late Richard zur Strassen to thrips workers around the world.

Figures

FIGURES 97–103. Terthrothrips spp. Head, pronotum & fore leg 97–98: (97) ananthakrishnani; (98) strasseni. Antennal segments 99–101: (99) ananthakrishnani, VII–VIII; (100) ananthakrishnani, III–VIII; (101) strasseni, III–VIII. Abdominal segments 102–103: (102) strasseni, sternites V–VIII; (103) strasseni, tergites VI–VIII.