Neoheliothrips, Nakahara, Steve, O’Donnell, Cheryle A. & Mound, Laurence A., 2015

Nakahara, Steve, O’Donnell, Cheryle A. & Mound, Laurence A., 2015, Heliothrips haemorrhoidalis and its relatives, with one new species and one new genus (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), Zootaxa 4021 (4), pp. 578-584 : 581-583

Neoheliothrips gen.n.

Diagnosis. Head, body and legs reticulate. Antennae 8-segmented, without microtrichia, III with pronounced basal flange, III and IV each with one simple sense cone, VIII much longer than VII. Head slightly longer than wide, compound eyes with 6 pigmented facets, maxillary palps 2-segmented. Pronotum with median transverse band of large irregular reticles. Mesoscutum with short posteromedian cleft; metascutum with prominent reticulate triangle.

Tarsi 1-segmented. Fore wing apex rounded, first longitudinal vein distinct from costal vein ( Fig. 12 ), both bearing minute setae, costa with no fringe cilia, posteromarginal cilia almost straight. Abdominal tergite I with paired minute median setae arising on reticulate area; tergites II–VII median setae small, distance between their bases more than twice their length; VII with no marginal comb, VIII with posteromarginal comb weak or absent medially; IX and X with no microtrichia, X with longitudinal split.

Type species: Heliothrips sylvanus Faure.

Comments. Although generally similar in appearance, this new genus differs from Heliothrips in having the fore wing first vein distinct from, and parallel to, the costal vein ( Fig. 12 ), there are no cilia on the costal vein, tergites II–VI median setae are small and much shorter than the distance between their bases ( Fig. 11 ), tergite IX does not have a small band of microtrichia near the posterior margin, and antennal segment III has a pronounced basal flange ( Fig. 7 ). The genus is erected for a single polyphagous species from South Africa. These character states suggest that Neoheliothrips is not sister-group to Heliothrips . However, data provided by Mound et al. (2001) indicate that it is sister-group to four genera that include Heliothrips and Australothrips . Molecular data is required to further examine these relationships, but the data provided by Buckman et al. (2013) indicate that within the Panchaetothripinae Australothrips is also well separate from Heliothrips .

Figures

FIGURES 10 – 13. Neoheliothrips sylvanus comb. n. 10 – 12: (10) head and thorax; (11) tergites V – VI; (12) fore wing; (13) Heliothrips haemorrhoidalis fore wing.

FIGURES 1 – 7. Heliothrips species, mesonotum, metanotum and tergite I, 1 – 3: (1) haemorrhoidalis; (2) similis sp. n.; (3) zucchi. Antennae, 4 – 7: (4) haemorrhoidalis; (5) similis sp. n.; (6) zucchi; (7) Neoheliothrips sylvanus comb. n. (arrows indicate paired minute pores on first abdominal tergite).