Lissothrips thomsonae, Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2015

Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2015, Species of Lissothrips and Williamsiella from mosses and lichens in Australia and New Zealand (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae), Zootaxa 3946 (3), pp. 361-373 : 370-371

Lissothrips thomsonae sp.n.

( Figs 7 , 15 , 22, 28 )

Female aptera. Body, legs and antennae brown, antennal segment III paler and with pedicel yellow, tube dark brown, major setae light brown.

Head slightly wider than long, weakly reticulate near posterior margin; compound eyes small, with about 12 large facets dorsally and 10 ventrally that narrow to a single posterior facet; po setae very long and finely acute; maxillary stylets retracted almost to level of eyes, less than one fifth of head width apart medially. Antennae 8- segmented, III slender with no sense cones ( Fig. 7 ), IV with 2 long sense cones, VIII slender and narrowed to basal pedicel.

Pronotum transverse, without sculpture ( Fig. 15 ); notopleural sutures incomplete; major setae long and acute, aa setae much shorter than am setae. Fore tarsus with no tooth. Mesonotum transversely reticulate, lateral setae minute; fore wing lobe absent ( Fig. 22 ); metanotum almost without sculpture, median setae wide apart small and fine. Prosternal ferna weakly developed, usually hidden beneath mouth cone; basantra pointed medially; mesopresternum reduced to slender lateral sclerites; anterior margin of mesoeusternum concave medially; metathoracic sternopleural sutures not developed. Abdomen with pelta broad, campaniform sensilla present ( Fig. 22 ); tergites with median setae minute, III–VII with 2 pairs of long pointed setae laterally; tergite IX setae finely acute and longer than tube; anal setae shorter than tube. Sternites with 2 to 4 minute discal setae, median marginal setae longer than lateral pair.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 1450. Head, length 125; width 150; po setae 85. Pronotum, length 100; width 210; setae—am 50, aa 20, ml 60, epim 85, pa 70. Tergite IX setae S1 130. Tube length 110. Antennal segments III–VIII length, 30, 32, 40, 48, 40, 40.

Male aptera. Very similar to female, but smaller; tergite IX setae S2 short and stout; sternite VIII with transverse pore plate ( Fig. 28 ).

Measurements (paratype male in microns). Body length 1180. Pronotum, length 85; width 175; setae—am 45, aa 25, ml 50, epim 85, pa 65. Sternite VIII pore plate width 110. Tergite IX setae S1 110; S2 35. Tube length 100.

Female macroptera. Similar to aptera in colour; ocelli well developed; prosternal ferna well developed, mesopresternum complete transverse; anterior margin of mesoeusternum not concave medially; metathoracic sternopleural sutures not developed. Mesonotal lateral setae well developed; metanotum without sculpture. Fore wing parallel sided, no duplicated cilia, with three long sub-basal setae. Pelta broadly D-shaped; tergites III–VI with one pair of straight wing-retaining setae directed mesad.

Material studied. Holotype female aptera, Australia, Queensland, Cooloola National Park, Bymien Picnic Area, from barkspray of rainforest tree trunk, 17.vii.2003 (K.Thomson).

Paratypes: 1 female, 2 males taken with holotype. Queensland: Atherton, Baldy Mtn Road, 1 male from barkspray in rainforest, 6.xii.2010; Bunya Mtns, Pitta Cottage, 1 female aptera, 1 female macroptera, from barkspray of rainforest tree trunks, 22.xii.2010; Queen Mary Falls NP, 1 female from dead branches, 6.iv.2007. New South Wales: Crystal Creek, 10km north of Murwillumbah, 1 male from dead twigs, 23.xii.2006;

Non-paratypes: New South Wales: Cabbage Tree Creek, 2 females, 1 male from moss and litter, 21.ii.1969; Tallaganda, Lowden Forest Park, 1 male from Eucalyptus nuts and mosses, 27.ii.2011. Australian Capital Territory, National Botanic Gardens, 1 female from fern in gully, 17.iv.2003.

Comments. The specimens from southern New South Wales and the ACT are excluded from the type series because the sternal pore plate on the two available males is only about 75 microns wide in contrast to more than 100 microns on males of the type series. Apart from this, both sexes are similar in structure to the type specimens. The third antennal segment of thomsonae is slightly more slender than that of other species of this genus from Australia, but it shares many character states with gersoni . One of the females from Bunya Mountains listed above is the only macropterous specimen of this genus known from Australia or New Zealand.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. Lissothrips species from Australia—antennae. (1) corticosus; (2) discus; (3) dentatus; (4) hypni; (5) tallagandai; (6) taverneri; (7) thomsonae.

FIGURES 8 – 15. Lissothrips species from Australia—head and pronotum. (8) corticosus; (9) discus; (10) hypni; (11) gersoni; (12) taverneri; (13) tallagandai; (14) discus; (15) thomsonae.

FIGURES 22 – 28. Lissothrips species from Australia. (22) thomsonae meso & metanotum and pelta. (23) hypni male tergites VIII-X. Thoracic sternites 24 – 26: (24) corticosus, (25) tallagandai, (26) taverneri. Male sternite VIII 27 – 28: (27) tallagandai, (28) thomsonae.