Litotetothrips Priesner, 1929

Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2021, Litotetothrips Priesner (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae); an Asian genus newly recorded from Australia with two new species and one new combination, Zootaxa 5027 (3), pp. 445-450 : 446

Litotetothrips Priesner

Litotetothrips Priesner, 1929: 449 . Type species L. cinnamomi Priesner (= Gynaikothrips rotundus Moulton ), by monotypy.

Ten species are listed in this genus (ThripsWiki 2021), and a key to nine of these is provided by Kudo (1994). Of these nine, Kudo indicates that four species lack fore wing duplicated cilia, and this is also reported for the tenth species that was described from Hainan, China ( Feng & Gou 2004). Considering the described five species in which duplicated wing cilia are present, only L. roberti Kudo (1975) from Japan, Honshu, has the pelta with a pair of campaniform sensilla, although the three species from Australia considered below also share this character state ( Figs 4, 5 ).

Generic diagnosis. Brown macropterous Phlaeothripinae with antennal segment VIII long and slender ( Figs 6–8 ). Head 1.0 to 1.4 times as long as wide; posterior ocelli in contact with eye; compound eyes sometimes with one posterolateral facet enlarged; postocular setae usually shorter than eye; vertex with little sculpture; maxillary stylets usually widely separated, position varying from low in head to retracted almost to postocular setae. Antennae 8-segmented; segment III with one sense cone, IV with 2 or 3 sense cones; VIII long, slender and narrowed to base. Pronotum broad, with little sculpture; notopleural sutures complete or incomplete; am and aa setae minute to small. Metanotum with longitudinally elongate reticulation usually weak anteromedially. Fore tarsi without tooth in both sexes; fore wing broad, some species with many duplicated cilia but other species without duplicated cilia; 2 or 3 sub-basal setae present. Prosternal basantra absent; ferna widely separated; mesopresternum complete, or slender, or reduced to irregular fragments; metathoracic sternopleural sutures absent. Pelta recessed into anterior margin of tergite II, shape variable, triangular or with lateral wings; tergites II–VIII each with 2 pairs of sigmoid wing-retaining setae placed rather laterally; tergite IX major setae long; tube about as long as head. Male sternite VIII without pore plate.

Figures

FIGURES 1‒10. Litotetothrips species. Head & pronotum 1–2: (1) gallicola; (2) caledonensis. Mesonotum to tergite II 3–5: (3) caledonensis; (4) gallicola; (5) tareei. Antenna 6-8: (6) caledonensis; (7) gallicola; (8) tareei. Thoracic sternites 9–10: (9) tareei; (10) caledonensis.