Cleruchoides noackae Lin and Huber, 2007

Huber, John T., Read, Jennifer D. & Triapitsyn, Serguei V., 2007, Paranaphoidea Girault 1913, Zootaxa 1596, pp. 1-111 : 54-55

Cleruchoides noackae Lin and Huber , sp. nov. ( Figs. 266–273 )

Diagnosis. Subantennal grooves and mandibles black, contrasting sharply with light coloured head.

Description. Female. Body length 446–495 µm (critical point dried specimens). Colour generally brown to light brown dorsally except scutellum and whitish ventrally. Head light brown to yellowish, except for dark brown or black subantennal grooves and mandibles. Eyes grey with a pink tinge and ocelli pink (critical point dried specimens). Antenna light brown, the scape and pedicel laterally and first few funicular segments whitish. Mesosoma brown, except pronotum laterally, lateral lobes of mesoscutum and entire venter ligher; posterior scutellum white to cream-coloured. Legs whitish. Wings hyaline, except slight brown suffusion behind venation. Metasoma light brown dorsally and whitish ventrally except for apical third.

Head almost smooth, at most with very faint transverse striations on vertex posteriorly and occiput; face laterally with 5 or 6 setae between subantennal grooves and preoccipital sutures, and medially with 2 widely spaced setae next to toruli and 3 setae along each subantennal groove; vertex with 2 setae between and slightly behind hind ocelli and 2 more closely spaced setae in front of them; occiput with 4 setae lateral to and above foramen; gena with 2 setae ventral to eye. Antenna with length/width measurements (from holotype) and number of longitudinal sensilla (in parentheses) as follows: scape 104/21, pedicel 36/23, funicle segments 1–6 (number of longitudinal sensilla) 20/14, 32/12, 29/13, 31/19 (1), 36/23 (2), 35/23 (2), entire clava 99/35 (5 or 6).

Mesosoma smooth.

Wings. Fore wing (from holotype) length 492, width 82, longest marginal setae 165, venation length 163; hind wing length 465, width 33, longest marginal setae 119, venation length 154.

Legs. Relative proportion of segments (from holotype):

Fore leg: coxa 83, trochanter 26, femur 149, tibia 158, entire tarsus 120, tarsomeres 1–4 32, 30, 26, 33.

Middle leg: coxa 56, trochanter 32, femur 149, tibia 158, entire tarsus 127, tarsomeres 1–4 28, 34, 30, 35.

Hind leg: coxa 93, trochanter 48, femur 149, tibia 158, entire tarsus 128, tarsomeres 1–4 26, 36, 32, 35.

Metasoma. Several gastral terga dorsally with one or two transverse rows of crenulate sculpture. Ovipositor length 110, about 0.7 x as long as metatibia.

Male. Similar to female. Colour of meso- and metasoma slightly darker. Each flagellar segment about 2.0 x as long as wide, and with 4 longitudinal sensilla. Genitalia as in generic description.

Variaton. The number of longitudinal sensilla on the antenna varies. Female specimens from Sydney lack them on all funicle segments except funicle segment 6, and at least one Tasmanian specimen lacks longitutinal sensilla on funicle segment 4. Male specimens from Sydney have 4 sensilla on some segments but apparently only 3 or 2 on others, and these segments are also smaller. These differences are considered to represent intraspecific variation.

Hosts. Baclozygum ?depressum ( Thaumastocoridae ) on Eucalyptus globosus and E. nicholii leaves, and Thaumastocoris peregrinus Carpintero & Dellapé on E. scoparia leaves.

Derivation of species name. Named after Annie Noack, who reared specimens of this species during her studies of an outbreak of T. peregrinus (previously misidentified as T. australicus ) on Eucalyptus nicholii in Sydney, and who kindly reared numerous additional specimens for taxonomic study by JTH.

Material examined. Holotype female ( ANIC), dissected under two coverslips on slide and labelled: 1. Cleruchoides noackae Lin & Huber female dorsal HOLOTYPE ”. 2. “ Australia, Tasmania, Devonport, 13 May, 1986, L. Hill, ex. Baclozygum ? depressum (Thaumasocoridae) on Eucalyptys globosus leaves coll. 29. Apr. 1986; em. via egg operculum” .

Paratypes. 18 females and 10 males on card mounts, and 7 females and 7 males on slides, as follows: NSW: Sydney, Homebush, Olympic Park, 28.viii and 11.ix.2002, A.E. Noack, ex. Thaumastocorid egg on Eucalyptus nicholii (2 females & 1 male, ANIC, FAFU); Sydney, Peterhsham on Queen & Palace streets, 5.v.2005, ex. Thaumastochoris peregrinus eggs on Eucalyptus scoparia (20 females & 11 males, CNC, BMNH, UCRC, USNM). TAS: Devonport, 15–16.v.1986, L. Hill, with eggs of Baclozygum ? depressum (Thaumasocoridae) on Eucalyptus globosus leaves kept in Petri dish 5 days (2 males, ANIC); Devonport, 6, 13 and 16.v.1986, L. Hill, ex. Baclozygum ? depressum on Eucalyptus globosus leaves coll. 29.iv.1986, em. via operculum (3 females & 2 males, ANIC); Devonport, 22.ix.1986, L. Hill, ex. Baclozygum ? depressum (1 male, ANIC).

Figures

FIGURES 266–273. Cleruchoides noackae. Lin & Huber. Female (holotype) 266, metasoma dorsal (gastral apex lateral); 267, head anterior; 268, antenna. Male (paratype, TAS, Devonport, 22.ix.1986, L. Hill, ex. Baclozygum?depressum) 269, fore- and hind wing; 270, genitalia; 271, fore leg. Male (paratype, TAS, Devonport, 15.v.1986, L. Hill, ex. Baclozygum?depressum on Eucalyptus globosus) 272, antenna; 273, meso- and metasoma dorsal.