Pseudodendrothrips stuardoi (Moulton), 2021

Rasool, Iftekhar, Mound, Laurence A., Soliman, Ahmed M. & Aldhafer, Hathal M., 2021, The Dendrothripinae (Thysanoptera, Thripidae) of SaudiArabia, withnew records one new species, and revised status of Pseudodendrothrips stuardoi (Moulton), Zootaxa 4999 (3), pp. 219-227 : 224-226

Pseudodendrothrips stuardoi (Moulton) stat. rev.

Graphidothrips stuardoi Moulton, 1930: 273

This species was described from Chile, where it was reported as damaging cultivated Ficus carica in the northern part of the country ( Moulton 1930). As discussed above, it was presumably introduced to the New World together with its host plant, and the species is here distinguished from P. mori with which it had been synonymized. The most reliable diagnostic character states are the lengths of the maxillary palps and hind tarsi, these structures being considerably longer in the specimens of stuardoi than in the available specimens of mori . Moreover, the number of setae on the first vein is higher in females of stuardoi than in those of mori , although males have fewer of these setae. The inner pair of pronotal posteroangular setae (S3) are not constant in length in stuardoi but generally are considerably longer than in mori . The specimens identified as P. mori from UAE by zur Strassen & van Harten (2008) are possibly stuardoi , based on the characters considered her, and records of P. mori from Turkey and Mediterranean countries also need further investigation.

Female macroptera ( Fig. 23 ). Body pale yellow, head, pronotum and pterothorax pale yellow; abdominal tergites III–VII shaded gray to light brown laterally; antennal segment I pale, II brown, III–V gradually gray from base to tip, VI–IX light brown; clavus and fore wings clear with light brown cilia. Head without sculpture except few longitudinal lines at ocellar triangle; ocellar setae pair I arising lateral to fore ocelli, pair III arising within triangle in front of hind ocelli; compound eyes with about 7 stout setae and 18–20 pigmented facets; mouth cone long, slender, reaching to posterior margin of mesonotum; antennae 9–segmented, III & IV with forked sense cone, VI with inner sense cone reaching to base of VII, VIII with outer sense cone exceeding the tip of IX. Pronotum with transverse striation with about 12 discal setae; posteroangular inner setae almost as long as outer setae. Metanotum with longitudinal striae at middle, reticulate laterally without internal markings. Fore wing first vein with 11–13 setae in a row, second vein without setae. Hind tibiae with one stout spine at apex; hind tarsi at least 0.8 times as long as, or in some individuals as long as, hind tibiae. Tergites II–VII with transverse striae laterally, provided with longitudinal small lines without internal markings; tergites III–VII with 4–10 minute microtrichia medially at posterior margin; VIII with complete comb of microtrichia; IX–X with rows of microtrichia at posterior half. Sternites without discal setae.

Measurements. Body length 845. Head, length 55, width 155; ocellar setae pair III 10. Pronotum, length 75, width 175; posteroangular setae S1– S4 20, 10, 25, 25. Metanotum median setae 8. Fore wing length 585. Antennal segments I–IX, 18, 30, 30, 32, 30, 30, 10, 20, 15.

Male macroptera ( Fig. 24 ). Similar to female, but paler and smaller. Sternites without pore plates.

Measurements. Body length 670. Head, length 68, width 140; ocellar setae pair III 10. Pronotum, length 60, width 160; posteroangular setae S1– S4 15, 8, 20, 20. Metanotum median setae 8. Fore wing length 460. Antennal segments I–IX, 17, 30, 30, 35, 30, 30, 10, 17, 15.

Material studied. CHILE, San Felix , 2 paratype females, 16.i.1929 (Carlos Stuardo) in BMNH ; San Vincente, Los Andes , 7 females, 1 male with larvae from Ficus carica , 10.iii.2003 (Renato Ripa) in ANIC . Saudi Arabia, Al Baha, Baljurashi , 11 females, one male, 10 larvae beaten from leaves of Ficus carica , 22.ix.2020; Al Baha, 5 females, 3 larvae from leaves of Ficus carica , 22.ix.2020; 27 females, 13 males, 45 larvae from leaves of Ficus carica , 23.ix.2020; Al Makhwa, 14 females, one male, two larvae from leaves of Ficus carica (Rasool, I) ; Riyadh, King Saudi University Educational farm, 9 females, 9 males, 32 larvae from leaves of Ficus carica , 23.vii.2020, (Rasool, I) ; same locality, 3 females, 3 males from grasses under Ficus carica , 13.vii.2020, (Soliman, A) in KSMA .

Comments. This species is readily distinguished from P. mori by the length of the mouth cone and maxillary palps, the larger number of setae on the fore wing first vein, the more elongate hind tarsi, and the presence of 18–20 pigmented facets on each compound eye (in contrast to 6 pigmented facets in mori ).

Figures

FIGURES 21–24. Dendrothripinae species: (21) Dendrothrips saudicus sp. n. (22) Pseudodendrothrips aegyptiacus. (23) P. stuardoi female. (24) P. stuardoi male.