Strepterothrips moffati, Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2015

Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2015, Fungus-feeding Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripinae of the Idiothrips genus-group in Australia, with nine new species, Zootaxa 4034 (2), pp. 325-341 : 335

Strepterothrips moffati sp.n.

( Figs 22 , 27 , 42 )

Female aptera: Body, legs and antennae brown with antennal segments I–II almost yellow, tarsi and apex of tibiae scarcely paler than femora; major setae all pale.

Head longer than wide ( Fig. 27 ); cheeks almost parallel, dorsal surface reticulate except in midline, mid-dorsal setae not elongate; eyes with about 3 facets dorsally and 2 ventrally; postocular setae short, broadly capitate. Antennae 7-segmented ( Fig. 22 ), III short and broad with narrow pedicel and no sense cone, IV with 2 sense cones; segments IV–V dorsally with 2 transverse sculpture lines, VI with faint lines. Pronotum reticulate, with about three irregular rows of small tubercles along posterior margin; with 5 pairs of short, broadly capitate setae, notopleural sutures incomplete. Mesonotum reticulate, with one pair of small capitate lateral setae. Metanotum weakly reticulate, with about 30 bluntly pointed discal setae ( Fig. 42 ). Prosternal basantra not developed; ferna transverse, not meeting medially; mesopresternum reduced to pair of very small lateral triangles, mesoeusternum anterior margin strongly eroded. Pelta sub-quadrate, reticulate with pair of campaniform sensilla ( Fig. 42 ); tergites weakly reticulate with rows of small tubercles near posterior margins, with transverse row of bluntly pointed discal setae; II–VI with pair of short, asymmetrically capitate posteromarginal setae ( Fig. 42 ), these setae longer on VII–VIII; setae S1 on IX capitate, longer than basal width of tube; S2 longer and finely acute.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 1550. Head, length 240; width 200; po setae 25. Pronotum, length 130; width 250; major setae, am 22, aa 25, ml 25, epim 30, pa 25. Tergite IX setae S1 75; S2 100. Tube length 140; basal width 60; anal setae 125. Antennal segments III–VII length, 25, 40, 40, 43, 65.

Male aptera: Similar to female in colour and structure, tergite IX setae S2 short and stout.

Material studied. Holotype female aptera. Australia, Queensland, Mt Moffat, Carnarvon N.P., from barkspray in Mahogany Forest, 16.i.2013 (G.Monteith), in ANIC.

Paratypes, all apterae: 2 males taken with holotype; Carnavon Station homestead, 1 female from barkspray of tree trunk, 14.x.2014.

Comments. This is one of a group of three species from Australia in which the third antennal segment is unusually small and lacks any sense cones. It is distinguished from the other two by the absence of setae on the pelta, the presence of sculpture lines on the antennal segments, and the longer tube.

Figures

FIGURES 16 – 26. Strepterothrips species from Australia. Mesoeusternal anterior margin 16 – 19: (16) verruculus; (17); arake; (18) orientalis; (19) parvulus. Antennae 20 – 26: (20) arake; (21) barbatus; (22) moffati; (23) okajimai; (24) orientalis; (25) parvulus; (26) tuberculatus.

FIGURES 27 – 35. Strepterothrips species from Australia. Head 27 – 29: (27) moffati, (28) tuberculatus; (29) verruculus. Head and pronotum 30 – 32: (30) okajimai; (31) parvulus;; (32) arake. Metanotum, pelta and tergites 33 – 34: (33) okajimai; (34) akake. (35) Male verruculus.

FIGURES 36 – 45. Strepterothrips species from Australia. Metanotum and pelta 36 – 37: (36) apterus; (37) barbatus. Pronotum 38 – 39: (38) barbatus; (39) verruculus. (40) verruculus metanotum and pelta. (41) tuberculatus thorax and pelta. (42) moffati metanotum, pelta and tergites. Apical abdominal segments 43 – 45: (43) arake; (44) okajimai; (45) orientalis.