Stenchaetothrips langkawiensis, Ng & Mound, 2012

Ng, Y. F. & Mound, L. A., 2012, The Stenchaetothrips species (Thysanoptera, Thripidae) of Malaysia, with one new species, Zootaxa 3357, pp. 56-62 : 58-60

Stenchaetothrips langkawiensis sp. n.

Female macroptera. Body and legs clear yellow, abdominal segments VIII–X darker yellow; antennal segments I–V pale, V slightly shaded at extreme apex, VI light brown on distal half, VII light brown ( Fig. 3); fore wing pale ( Fig. 8). Head, about as long as wide; ocellar setae II at least twice as long as ocellar setae III; post-ocellar setae subequal in length ( Fig.1). Pronotum with 20–25 discal setae, and weak, widely spaced transverse striations; with 2 pairs of long postero- angular setae, 3 pairs of postero-marginal setae. Mesonotum with no anterior campaniform sensilla. Metanotum with closely spaced striations, campaniform sensilla absent, median setae arising behind anterior margin ( Fig. 7). Meso- and metafurca each without a spinula; metasternum with about about 6–14 discal setae. Abdominal tergites VI–VIII with paired ctenidia, V with a very weak pair; I–VII posterior margin laterally with a few weakly dentate microtrichia, sometimes extending across the margin medially on VI–VII; tergite VIII with almost complete comb of small, irregular, sometimes dentate microtrichia ( Figs 5a, 5b); submedian setae on VIII not extending beyond posterior margin; anterior pair of campaniform sensilla on IX variable, present or absent. Sternites VI–VII posterior margin laterally, between setae S2 and S3, with a small craspedum comprising 3–6 dentate microtrichia.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 1150. Head length 110; width across eyes 115; ocellar setal pair II each 40; ocellar setal pair III each 20. Pronotum, length 118; width 125, postero-angular setae, inner 50, outer 30. Fore wing length 600. Antennal segments III–VII length, 33, 33, 33, 45, 20 respectively.

Male. Unknown.

Specimens studied. Holotype female. MALAYSIA, Kedah, Langkawi , on grass, 15.i.2011 (Eow, L.X. & Ng, Y.F.) ( ANIC) . Paratypes: 2 females collected with holotype ( CISUKM) .

Comments. This new species is particularly similar to S. indicus , in that the females lack a comb of long regular microtrichia on the posterior margin of the eighth abdominal tergite, and both species are almost completely yellow. However, the new species differs from S. indicus in having the posterior margins of the abdominal tergites, at least laterally, with short almost dentate microtrichia, and on VIII there is an almost complete comb of small, irregularly dentate microtrichia. All other species in this genus are reported to have a comb of long slender microtrichia on this tergite. The anterior campaniform sensilla on tergite IX vary among the three available specimens; the holotype and one paratype each have only the left one present, but the other paratype has a pair of sensilla.