Pandanothrips, Masumoto, Masami, Ng, Y. F. & Okajima, Shûji, 2013

Masumoto, Masami, Ng, Y. F. & Okajima, Shûji, 2013, A new genus of Thripinae (Thysanoptera, Thripidae) collected from Pandanus in Japan, Malaysia and Australia, with three new species, Zootaxa 3709 (6), pp. 543-554 : 544

Pandanothrips gen. n.

Type species: P. r y uk y ue n si s sp. n.

Female macropterous ( Figs 1 , 13 , 23 ). Head ( Fig. 15 ) with interantennal projection slightly wide; mouth-cone short, rounded at apex, with 3-segmented maxillary palpi. Ocellar setae I present, setae II lateral or posterolateral to setae III and near compound eye, setae III lateral to fore ocellus. Six pairs of postocular setae, parallel to compound eye but setae II mesad of setal row. Antennae ( Fig. 4 ) 8-segmented, segment I without median dorsal apical setae, III and IV with sensoria forked, III–VI with some rows of microtrichia on both dorsal and ventral surfaces. Pronotum with two pairs of long posteroangular setae. Mesonotum ( Fig. 5 ) with median pair of setae far from posterior margin. Metascutum with median pair of setae at or close to anterior margin. Prosternal ferna divided medially; basantra weakly thickened ( Fig. 18 ). Prospinasternum broad and transverse. Mesosternum with sternopleural sutures complete. Spinula present on mesosternal endofurca but absent from metasternum. Fore wing ( Figs 1 , 19 , 30 ) first vein without or with long gap in setal row, second vein with 7–10 setae irregularly spaced; clavus with one discal setae other than veinal setae; posteromarginal cilia undulated. Fore tibia with two inner apical setae slightly stout; tarsi 2-segmented. Abdominal tergites and sternites without posteromarginal craspeda; tergites without ctenidia; tergite VIII with a few microtrichia anterolateral to spiracles, with posteromarginal comb present at least laterally; tergite X with longitudinal median split distally; sternites II–VII with three pairs of posteromarginal setae, all setae arising from posterior margin (Fig. 9); pleurotergites without discal setae. Ovipositor developed. Male macropterous or micropterous (Figs 10, 14, 29); abdominal tergite IX without stout setae (Figs 11, 21, 32), sternites III–VII each with a pore plate (Figs 12, 22, 33).

Comments. The position of ocellar setae II in this new genus is unique. In Thripidae , these setae are usually situated lateral to or anterior to fore ocellus and are not posterior to ocellar setae III (interocellar setae). However, in this new genus ocellar setae II are usually situated behind ocellar setae III. Previously, only the genus Projectothrips Moulton has been known to be associated with Pandanus flowers. Among Thripinae , Projectothrips is unique in having antennal segment VIII distinctly elongate with numerous microtrichia, in contrast to the antenna of Pandanothrips . This new genus is superficially similar to Danothrips Bhatti , an Oriental genus of leaf feeding species. Danothrips is probably closely related to Chaetanaphothrips because of the presence of a small stippled area around each spiracle on abdominal tergite VIII, but Pandanothrips has no such areas on tergite VIII. Moreover, Pandanothrips can be distinguished from Danothrips by having the pronotum without depressions anterolaterally and male tergite IX without stout setae. This new genus is thus not related to either Danothrips or Projectothrips , and its systematic relationship remain unclear.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Pandanothrips hallingi. (1) Female; (2) Male. Female. 3 – 6: (3) Head & pronotum; (4) Antenna; (5) Mesonotum & metascutum; (6) Tergite II.

FIGURES 13 – 14. Pandanothrips ryukyuensis. (13) Female; (14) Male.

FIGURES 23 – 24. Pandanothrips wangi. (23) Female; (24) Male.

FIGURES 15 – 18. Pandanothrips ryukyuensis. Female. (15) Head & pronotum; (16) Antenna; (17) Mesonotum & metascutum; (18) Pro-, meso- and metasterna.

FIGURES 19 – 22. Pandanothrips ryukyuensis. Female 19 – 20: (19) Fore wing; (20) Tergites VII – XI. Male 21 – 22: (21) Tergites VIII – X; (2) Sternites VI – VII.

FIGURES 29 – 33. Pandanothrips wangi. Fore wing 29 – 30: (29) Male; (30) Female. (31) Female, tergites VII – X. Male 32 – 33: (32) Tergites VIII – XI; (33) Sternites VI – VII.