Azaleothrips phuketanus, Okajima, Shûji & Masumoto, Masami, 2014

Okajima, Shûji & Masumoto, Masami, 2014, Species-richness in the Oriental fungus-feeding thrips of the genus Azaleothrips (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripidae), Zootaxa 3846 (3), pp. 301-347 : 333

Azaleothrips phuketanus sp.n.

( Figs 97–103 )

Female macroptera. Body brown to dark brown. Antennal segment III yellow ( Fig. 98 ); basal neck of segment IV yellowish. All femora concolorous with body, with apices yellowish; all tibiae brown, with bases and apices yellowish. Fore wing very weakly shaded with brown, paler at base.

Head ( Fig. 97 ) almost as long as wide; dorsal surface strongly sculptured with reticles and these with internal delicate wrinkles; reticles partly (especially lateral portion) with small tubercles along lines. Cheeks rounded. Compound eyes comparatively small, about 0.3 times as long as head. Postocular setae about half the length of compound eye. Antennal segments VII and VIII closely joined ( Fig. 99 ); segment IV much shorter than segment III; segment III with two (1 + 1), segment IV with three (1 + 2) sensoria. Mouth cone comparatively short. Pronotum ( Fig. 100 ) generally reticulate with lines, almost smooth among lines, with small tubercles along lines at posterior portion of the middle; with 27 short setae in holotype. Basantra present, but weak. Mesonotum ( Fig. 102 ) with small dentate microtrichia or tubercles along transverse lines of sculpture, almost smooth among lines. Metanotum ( Fig. 102 ) with polygonal reticulations, with very weak internal wrinkles; anterior half with 7 short setae in holotype. Fore tarsus unarmed ( Fig. 101 ). Fore wing with 6/7 duplicated cilia in holotype. Pelta distinctly reticulate, almost smooth among reticles. Abdominal tergite IX with 6 short setae at middle; S1 setae of tergite IX longer than half the length of tube; S2 setae on tergite IX expanded at apex. Tube about 0.6 times as long as head. Anal setae much longer than tube.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Distended body length 1650. Head length 182, width across cheeks 180. Pronotum length 125, width 215. Fore wing length 590. Tube length 110, width across base 55. Antenna length 308, segments III–VIII length (width) as follows: 48 (28), 42 (27), 42 (24), 41 (25), 30 (20), 26 (17). Postocular setae 20–25. S1 setae on tergite IX 60 –63, S2 setae on tergite IX about 70. Anal setae about 150.

Male. Unknown.

Specimens examined. Holotype female macroptera: Thailand, Phuket Is., Rang Hill, on dead leaves and branches, 14.ix.1992 (SO).

Paratypes: Thailand, 1 female, collected with holotype.

Remarks. The antennal segments III and IV of this species have two and three sensoria respectively. This sensorium formula shares with simulan s, newly described below from Bali , Indonesia. However, this species is distinctive from simulans in the entirely reticulate head and metanotum. There are a female and two males, undoubtedly related to this species, taken from Vietnam (1 female, N. Vietnam, Bac Can Province, Ba Be National Park, on dead branches, 2.viii.2000; 2 males, S. Vietnam, Ba Ria Vung Tua Prov., Xuyen Moc, Bung Rieng, on dead leaves and branches, 2.i.2002) in the collection of TUA. They are quite similar to phuketanus , but differ in the pro- and metanotal sculptures or reticulations. The males have expanded lateral pair of setae (S2) on the abdominal tergite IX and unarmed fore tarsi, and these character states are also exhibited by simulans .

Figures

FIGURES 97 – 110. Azaleothrips species. phuketanus sp. n. female 97 – 103: (97) head; (98) antennal segments III & IV; (99) antennal segments VII & VIII; (100) pronotum; (101) right fore leg; (102) meso & metanotum; (103) tergite II. pulcher sp. n. 104 – 110: (104) head, female; (105) antennal segments VII & VIII, female; (106) pronotum, female; (107) right fore leg, female; (108) meso & metanotum, female; (109) tergite II, female; (110) sternite VIII, male.