Heterothrips sanctaecatharinae, Pereyra, Veronica & Cavalleri, Adriano, 2012

Pereyra, Veronica & Cavalleri, Adriano, 2012, The genus Heterothrips (Thysanoptera) in Brazil, with an identification key and seven new species, Zootaxa 3237, pp. 1-23 : 18-19

Heterothrips sanctaecatharinae sp. n.

Female winged. Body brown ( Fig. 83 ); fore and mid femora largely brown, washed with yellow at tips; hind femur uniformly brown; tibiae yellow but with a small shaded area medially on mid and hind tibiae; tarsi pale; antennal segment I–II and VI–IX uniformly brown, III pale, IV uniformly shaded brown, V brown at apical fourth. Fore wings largely brown but pale sub-basally ( Fig. 83 ).

Head wider than long, with no long setae; ocellar region with three pairs of setae, pair III close to anterior margin of ocellar triangle ( Fig. 86 ). Antennae 9-segmented, segment III subdivided into three parts ( Fig. 88 ); IV entire and unusually short, about 1.4 times as long as wide, both segments with one row of small sensorial pores. Pronotum with few and widely separated lines of sculpture, with about 20 discal setae ( Fig. 87 ); mesonotum reticulatestriate; metanotum with concentric sculpture lines medially, covered with microtrichia and not forming a triangle ( Fig. 84 ). Fore wing with two rows of conspicuous brown setae.

Abdominal tergites I–VIII with several lateral rows of microtrichia, without craspeda but bearing an independent fringe of fine small posteromarginal microtrichia, interrupted medially on II–V. Sternites II–VI posterior margins with well developed and entire craspeda bearing microtrichia; 5 pairs of posteromarginal setae and discal setae present.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 1170 (distended). Head, length 107; width 135. Pronotum, length 112; width 167. Fore wing length 670; median width 37. Abdominal tergites IX and X length 68 and 80, respectively. Antennal segments III–IX length (width), 55 (23), 35 (25), 27 (20), 30 (18), 15 (12), 16 (10), 15 (10).

Male winged. Smaller than female; body brown, mid and hind tibiae more extensively brown. Intermediate abdominal sternites without discal setae, pore plates absent.

Measurements (paratype male in microns). Body length 920 (distended). Head, length 83; width 130. Pronotum, length 107; width 165. Fore wing length 600; median width 37; Abdominal segments IX + X (including anterior margin of sternite IX) length 110; width 163.

Material examined. Holotype female, Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre (30º04’09”S, 51º07’12”W), 26.x.2011, on Solanum sanctaecatharinae flowers (A. Cavalleri). Paratypes: 3 females, 5 males collected with holotype; 1 female, 2 males with similar data but 20.x.2011; 4 females, 2 males with similar data but 19.x.2011.

Comments. This new species is similar to striatus and brasiliensis in having bicolored fore wings, discal setae on abdominal sternites, and no sternal pore plates in males. However, sanctaecatharinae has an unusually short antennal segment IV and pronotum bears reticulate sculpture, rather than striate. The mesonotum is also not so closely striate, and the metanotal sculpture does not form a triangle. The adults are common inside flowers of S. sanctaecatharinae , beneath the large yellow stamens.

Figures

FIGURES 82 – 92. Brazilian Heterothrips. H. varitibia female 82, 85: 82. Dorsal view; 85. Pronotum. H. sanctaecatharinae sp. n. female 83 – 84, 86 – 88: 83. Dorsal view; 84. Mesonotum and metanotum; 86. Head; 87. Pronotum; 88. Antennal segment III. H. condei female 89 – 92: 89. Dorsal view; 90. Antenna; 91. Mesonotum and metanotum; 92. Abdominal sternites IV – VI setae.