Phaulothrips kingae, 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 : 247-248

Phaulothrips kingae sp.n.

( Fig. 17 )

Female macroptera. Body with much reticulation, dark brown to black with pale major setae; fore tarsi and extreme apex of antennal segment I slightly paler, antennal III uniformly dark; fore wing deeply shaded with extreme base and apex sharply pale; tergite II anterolaterally with paired small pale area.

Head long with cheeks almost straight, posterior margin slightly pointed medially, eyes small; three pairs of pre-ocellar setae arise from pair of prominent tubercles ( Fig. 17 ), these setae dark at base but pale in distal half; one pair of long postocular setae with weakly capitate apices; two pairs of small stout postocular cheek setae; maxillary stylets close together medially and retracted to postocular setae. Antennae 8-segmented; III and IV each with two sensoria, their length less than 0.5 of apical width of the segment; IV–VII with apex slightly asymmetric; VII with ventral longitudinal row of small sensoria; VIII constricted at base.

Pronotum transverse; major setae pale, blunt or weakly capitate. Metanotum reticulate, with one pair of small, pale median setae. Fore tarsal tooth slightly recurved. Prosternal basantra small, triangular, lateral to mouth cone; ferna large with median margins sub-parallel; mesopraesternum boat-shaped but slender; metathoracic sternopleural sutures long and recurved. Fore wing broad, with about 25 duplicated cilia; three sub-basal setae arise in a straight line, S3 longest.

Pelta reticulate, tri-lobed with pair of setae on lateral lobes; small campaniform sensilla medially; tergites with narrow transverse reticulation, II with minute discal setae anterolaterally; III–VII with 2 pairs of long pale setae laterally, on II–IV with apices broadly blunt, on V–VIII longer and acute, on VII twice as long as median length of tergite; setae on IX as long as tube.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 6100. Head, length 900; width across cheeks 390; longest pre-ocellar setae 120; postocular setae 220; postocular cheek setae 55. Pronotum, length 260; width 600; major setae length am 100, aa 70, ml 230, epim 270, pa 330. Fore wing length 2000. Tergite III lateral setae, pair I 250, pair II 220. Tergite IX setae, S1 700, S2 700. Tube length 760. Antennal segments III–VIII length 400, 220, 180, 130, 110, 100.

Specimens examined. Holotype female, Queensland, Stanthorpe, Passchendale, from Pinus radiata male cone, 14.i.1999 (Judy King).

Comments. This species is currently unique in the form of the anterior margin of the head and pre-ocellar setae ( Fig. 17 ). It is an interesting intermediate species between the typical members of the genus and the extreme condition of the head exhibited by inquilinus .

Figures

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;