Liothrips timonii, Mound & Dang & Tree, 2023

Mound, Laurence A., Dang, Lihong & Tree, Desley J., 2023, The genus Liothrips (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripidae) in Australia, Zootaxa 5306 (2), pp. 201-214 : 209-210

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5306.2.2
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E681EDEE-BAB3-4422-8F56-BD4018B7087C
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8058717
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/F92487CB-EA4C-FFCC-DEEB-FB3F9EC8832E
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Liothrips timonii
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Liothrips timonii sp.n.

( Figs 4 View FIGURES 1–9 , 14 View FIGURES 10–16 , 22 View FIGURES 17–25 , 28, 33, 36 View FIGURES 26–40 )

Macropterous female. Body and femora dark brown, fore tibiae with yellow, mid tibiae yellow but brown on basal fifth, hind tibiae yellow but brown on basal third ( Fig. 36 View FIGURES 26–40 ), all tarsi yellow ( Fig. 36 View FIGURES 26–40 ); antennae largely yellow, segment I and basal half of II brown, VIII yellowish brown ( Fig. 14 View FIGURES 10–16 ); major setae brown; fore wing uniformly paler.

Head elongate, about 2.43 times longer than width just behind eyes ( Fig. 4 View FIGURES 1–9 ); ocellar region swollen, fore ocellus on hump, posterior ocelli close to inner margin of eyes; eyes more than one-third as long as head; postocular setae slender and minute, not reach posterior margin of eyes; maxillary stylets not retracted to postocular setae; mouth cone long and pointed. Antennae slender and long ( Fig. 14 View FIGURES 10–16 ), segment III 5.0 times as long as wide, III with one sense-cone, IV with three; V–VI slightly constricted at base; VIII shorter than VII, broad at base. Pronotum with transverse lines on front half part and near posterior margin, five pairs of major capitate setae, anteromarginals as long as anteroangulars, accessory epimeral setae minute. Prosternal basantra absent, ferna developed, mesopresternum boat-shaped, broad medially ( Fig. 28 View FIGURES 26–40 ); metathoracic sternopleural sutures present. Metanotum with very narrow longitudinal reticulations medially, with linear markings in the reticles ( Fig. 22 View FIGURES 17–25 ), median setae slender. Fore wing parallel sided, with 8–12 duplicated cilia, three sub-basal setae capitate. Pelta triangular but with small lateral lobes, sculptured with simple reticulation, pair of campaniform sensilla present ( Fig. 33 View FIGURES 26–40 ); tergites II–VII each with two pairs of sigmoid wing-retaining; tergal lateral setae all capitate; tergite IX setae S1and S2 blunt at apex, about as long as tube, S3 shorter than tube. Tube much shorter than head, anal setae as long as tube.

Measurements (holotype female in microns): Body length 2450. Head, length (median width) 265(175); postocular setae 15. Pronotum, length (median width) 150(250); major setae—am 45, aa 45, ml 65, epim 85, pa 70. Fore wing length 910; sub-basal setae 50, 70, 65. Tergite IX setae S1 175, S2 140. Tube, length 175; basal width 75; apical width 40. Antennal segments III-VIII, length (width) 95(25), 75(30), 65(25), 65(25), 50(20), 30(10).

Male macroptera. Similar to female, but smaller, mid and hind tibiae largely yellow, with brownish at basal part; fore tarsal tooth absent; tergite IX setae S2 about half of length of S1, with apex capitate; sternite VIII pore plate extending laterally to pair of rounded areas laterally on tergite.

Measurements (paratype male in microns): Body length 2280. Head, length (median width) 300(175); postocular setae 15. Pronotum, length (median width) 155(235); major setae—am 20, aa 35, ml 45, epim 75, pa 50. Fore wing length 820; sub-basal setae 55, 60, 70. Tergite IX setae S1 170, S2 55. Tube, length 175; basal width 60; apical width 35. Antennal segments III-VIII, length (width) 105(25), 75(30), 75(25), 75(25), 55(20), 30(10).

Specimens studied. Holotype female, AUSTRALIA, Northern Territory, Humpty Doo , from Timonius lvs, 15.v.1999 ( LAM 3712 ), in ANIC.

Paratypes: 3 females, 4 males taken with holotype; Northern Territory: Darwin, Holmes Jungle , 10 females, 6 males in curled leaves of Timonius timon [ Rubiaceae ], 2.i.1996; Kakadu N.P., 5 females, 4 males from distorted leaves, 5.viii.1993 (in ANIC) .

Comments. This species is intermediate in structure between Liothrips and the genus Gynaikothrips . It is the only species of Liothrips to completely lack postocular setae, a condition here interpreted as a reversal. In contrast to Gynaikothrips , as diagnosed by Mound and Tree (2021), the metathoracic sternopleural sutures are developed, and the pronotum has a full set of five major setae.