Hoplandrothrips brunneicinctus, Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2013

Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2013, Fungus-feeding thrips from Australia in the worldwide genus Hoplandrothrips (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae), Zootaxa 3700 (3), pp. 476-494 : 480-482

Hoplandrothrips brunneicinctus sp.n.

( Figs 3, 6, 8 )

Male macroptera. Body and legs mainly yellow, tube pale brown, tergite II laterally and anterolateral margins of head with pale brown markings; antennae mainly light brown, segment III paler; all major setae pale; fore wings light brown, paler medially and near base.

Head with cheeks swollen behind eyes, weakly reticulate dorsally, sculpture particularly weak medially and in small males, ventrally with 3 pairs of longer setae; maxillary stylets retracted to postocular setae, close together medially ( Fig. 3 ); postocular setae wide apart, capitate and as long as eye length; mouth cone short and pointed. Antennae 8-segmented; III with 3 sensoria, IV with 4 sensoria; VII and VIII slender, each with small pedicel.

Pronotum with weak sculpture near posterior margin; all 5 major setae capitate, aa setae of largest male 2.5 times as long as am setae but in smallest male scarcely 1.3 times; basantra absent, chitinous islets not large; anterior border of mesoeusternum narrow in largest male, mesopresternum reduced to 2 slender triangles ( Fig. 8 ). Large males with fore femora swollen, inner apex with two stout tubercles, fore tibiae stout, inner margin with one subapical and one sub-basal tubercle, fore tarsal tooth longer than 0.5 of tarsal width. Small males with fore femora slender, only one apical tubercle, tibiae without tubercles, fore tarsal tooth small. Mesonotal lateral setae elongate, capitate. Metanotum reticulate, median setae acute and arising on anterior third of sclerite ( Fig. 6 ). Fore wings relatively slender, parallel sided or scarcely constricted medially, sub-basal setae capitate; with 4–6 duplicated cilia.

Pelta bell-shaped ( Fig. 6 ); tergites II–VII with 2 pairs of wing retaining setae, also 3–4 pairs of lateral discal setae arranged in a line, lateral setae S1 and S2 capitate; tergite IX setae S1 weakly capitate, S2 blunt, intermediate seta longer than S2. Sternite V with 14 discal setae, VIII with no pore plate.

Measurements (holotype male in microns, with small male in parentheses). Body length 1600 (1400). Head, length 230 (195); width 170 (150); po setae 90 (65). Pronotal setae length: am 35 (25), aa 90 (35), ml 55 (35), epim 65 (50), pa 70 (35). Fore wing length 750 (600). Tergite IX setae: S1 95 (65); intermediate seta 65 (50); S2 35 (30); S3 125 (110). Tube length 110 (110). Antennal segments III–VIII length 70 (65), 65 (55), 65 (50), 55 (45), 45 (35), 35 (30).

Male microptera. Similar to macroptera but fore wings no longer than width of pterothorax; largest microptera with fore legs exceptionally large, and postocular and pronotal aa setae both very long (100 microns).

Female macroptera. Similar to male in colour and structure, slightly larger with sculpture on head and pronotum stronger; fore tarsal tooth absent or minute; fore femora and tibiae without tubercles; mesopraesternal triangles large, almost meeting medially; mesoeusternal margin transverse; pronotal aa setae scarcely longer than am setae.

Female microptera. Similar to macroptera, fore wing no longer than pterothorax width.

Specimens examined. Holotype male macroptera, Queensland, 11km north of Kuranda, from rainforest leaf litter, 30.x.1969 (J.G. Brooks).

Paratypes: Queensland: 4 males, 3 females collected with holotype; 30km north of Kuranda, 1 female, 4.xi.1969; 27km south of Atherton, 1 male microptera, 11.xi.1969; Townsville, Gadgarra, 1 female mac., 4 female mic., 2 male mic., in rainforest leaf litter, 18.xii.1974; Mt Spec, 3 females, 1 male in pitfall trap, i–x.1995; Cairns, 2 females, 2 males, 1.ii.1998; Cape Tribulation, 2 females in flight trap, x. 1996; 3 females, 2 males from leaf litter, x.2012.

Comments. This new species shares, in the male, a series of character states with the tropical tramp species, flavipes . However, in contrast to that species the body is largely yellow, antennal segment III is more slender with slender sensoria, and the fore tarsus of females is effectively without a lateral tooth. Also sharing several character states is oreillyi sp.n., a species described below with the body uniformly brown.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Hoplandrothrips from Australia. Head & pronotum 1 – 3: (1) abrasi sp. n.; (2) bartlei sp. n.; (3) brunneicinctus sp. n. Meso & metanotum, pelta & tergite II, 4 – 8: (4) abrasi sp. n.; (5) bartlei sp. n.; (6) brunneicinctus sp. n. (7) coorongi antennal segments I – IV. (8) brunneicinctus sp. n. male mesopresternum.