Bregmatothrips australis, Mound, Laurence A., 2011

Mound, Laurence A., 2011, Grass-dependent Thysanoptera of the family Thripidae from Australia, Zootaxa 3064 (1), pp. 1-40 : 16-17

Bregmatothrips australis sp.n.

( Figs 31–37 )

Female macroptera. Body brown, femora light brown, tibiae and tarsi yellow; antennal segments III–V clear yellow, I and VI–VII brown, II yellow in apical half; fore wing pale; major setae on body light brown. Head longer than wide ( Fig. 31 ); ocellar setae I not close together, III arise outside the triangle just posterolateral to fore ocellus; compound eyes slightly prolonged ventrally, with 5 pigmented facets; postocular setae pair I absent, II arise far to posterior, III small, IV as long as II; vertex with many transverse lines; mouth cone large and extending between fore coxae ( Fig. 32 ), maxillary palps 2-segmented. Antennae 7-segmented but VII sometimes with partial suture; segment I with 2 dorso-apical setae; sensorium on III–IV simple; IV with 4 setae plus one subsidiary sensorium dorsolaterally; segments with very few microtrichia. Pronotum weakly trapezoidal ( Fig. 31 ), notopleural sutures extending along lateral margins; 2 pairs of posteroangular setae, 3 pairs of posteromarginals; dorsal surface almost without sculpture lines. Mesonotum with transverse sculpture, anterior campaniform sensilla not present, one pair of setae anterior to second pair near posterior margin, lateral setal pair minute. Metanotal median area reticulate ( Fig. 31 ), median setae close to anterior margin; campaniform sensilla absent. Prosternal ferna complete medially ( Fig. 32 ); mesothoracic sterno-pleural sutures complete; meta-pre-episternum broadly band-like; meso and meta furcae without spinula. Tarsi 2-segmented. Fore wing first vein with about 7 setae in basal half, 2 setae near apex; second vein with about 6 setae; clavus with 3 or 4 veinal and one discal setae. Tergite I reticulate, II–VIII with no sculpture medially except near anterior margin; I–VIII with campaniform sensilla close to posterior margin ( Fig. 33 ), II–VIII with pale, translucent craspedum of small lobes ( Fig. 34 ); pleurotergites slender ( Fig. 37 ); tergite IX with 2 pairs of campaniform sensilla; X longitudinally reticulate, dorsal split complete. Sternites without craspeda ( Figs 36, 37 ), discal area with variable number of small microtrichia, particularly laterally, II with 3 pairs of marginal setae, VII with setae S1 arising in front of margin.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 1750. Head, dorsal length 135; ventral length to mouth cone tip 310; width across eyes 130; ocellar setae III 30. Pronotum, length 175; maximum width 175; pa inner setae 50; pa outer setae 40. Fore wing length 700. Metanotal median setae 35. Tergite IX setae S1 150; S2 175. Tergite X setae S1 160. Antennal segments III–VII length 37, 32, 30, 60, 28.

Male microptera. Bicoloured, body mainly yellow with abdominal segments VI–X dark brown; legs and antennal segments I–V yellow. Similar in structure to female; ocelli small; tergal craspeda scarcely half as wide as in female; tergite IX posterior margin with pair of stout setiform processes ( Fig. 34 ); sternites with no pore plates, discal area with many small microtrichia.

Measurements (paratype male in microns). Body length 1450. Fore wing length 150.

Material studied. Holotype female, New South Wales, Bullio, 25km west of Mittagong , from Cymbopogon refractus leaves, 2.iv.2010 ( LAM5351 ).

Paratypes: 8 females, 6 males taken with holotype; 6 females, 3 males same locality and date from native Poaceae ; Queensland, Mt Tamborine , 3.iii.1966, 1 female in water trap; Ravenshoe , 3.vii.1995, 1 female from grass.

Comments. Although it shares many character states with binervis , this new species is intermediate between the two groups recognised by Bhatti (1984) in that the main sensorium on antennal segment IV is simple, not forked, and this segment bears only four (not five) setae in addition to a second, small, sensorium. Only two other species in this genus have 7-segmented antennae, furcatus and willcocksi from Africa, and both of these have a forked sensorium on the fourth antennal segment.

Figures

FIGURES 31 – 37. Bregmatothrips australis. (31) head & pronotum; (32) ventral view of head & prothorax; (33) tergites VII – X; (34) male tergites VII – IX; (35) meso & metanota with wing lobe; (36 – 37) sternites VI – VII.