Holothrips federicae, Mound & Tree, 2014

Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2014, Fungus-feeding phlaeothripine Thysanoptera in the genus Holothrips from Australia and New Caledonia, with a structurally similar new genus, Holoengythrips, Zootaxa 3860 (2), pp. 125-148 : 129-130

Holothrips federicae sp. n.

( Figs 4 , 15 , 20 )

Female macroptera. Body, legs and antennae brown, antennal segment III yellow at extreme base, tube golden, yellow subterminally before terminal grey band; fore wings very weakly shaded; major setae pale. Head slightly swollen behind large eyes, cheeks weakly concave before widening to posterior margin ( Fig. 4 ); dorsal surface weakly reticulate in posterior third; postocular setae capitate, longer than eye; maxillary stylets with small loop within prothorax. Antennae 8-segmented, VIII fused to VII usually without suture. Pronotum transverse, reticulate near posterior margin, with 5 pairs of slender capitate major setae; fore tarsal tooth small, less than half as long as tarsal width. Prosternal ferna not meeting medially; mesopresternum transverse but narrowed submedially; metathoracic sternopleural suture short. Mesonotal lateral setae capitate. Metanotum without sculpture medially, median setae fine and acute, anterior third without minor setae. Fore wing uniformly broad, about 10 duplicated cilia; sub-basal setae capitate, arising in a triangle. Pelta broadly triangular, weakly reticulate ( Fig. 20 ); tergites II–VII with 2 pairs of wing-retaining setae, anterior pair weak on each tergite or absent on VII, major setae capitate; tergite IX setae long and finely acute ( Fig. 15 ).

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 2950. Head, length 330; width behind eyes 280; postocular setae 110. Pronotum, length 190; width 400; major setae: am 70, aa 75, ml 95, epim 100, pa 95. Fore wing length 1100; sub-basal setae 60, 75, 80. Tergite IX setae S1 200, iS 60, S2 230. Tube length 230. Antennal segments III–VI [VII–VIII] length 95, 85, 75, 55, [85].

Female microptera. Similar to macroptera except, antennal segment II largely yellow, mid and hind tibiae yellow washed with brown; ocelli absent; eyes small, slightly longer ventrally than dorsally; metanotum weakly reticulate; wing lobe with 2 capitate setae; tergal wing-retaining setae small and straight.

Measurements (paratype female in microns). Body length 2400. Fore wing lobe length 55.

Male microptera. Similar to female, tergite IX and dorsal surface of tube with minute dentate microtrichia; tergite IX setae S2 short but not stout; sternites without reticulate areas.

Measurements (paratype male in microns). Body length 2350. Tergite IX setae S1 160, iS 50, S2 55.

Material studied. Holotype female macroptera, Queensland: Mt Mitchell [80km southwest of Brisbane], by bark spray in rainforest, 27.ii.2011 (Monteith & Turco).

Paratypes: Queensland, 2 female macropterae, 3 male micropterae, taken with holotype; Brisbane, Mt Glorious , 1 female macroptera, 9.iii.2006 , 1 male microptera, 29.x.2008; Brisbane, Mt Coot-tha , 1 female, 1 male microptera, 29.vi.2008 ; Brisbane Forest Park, 1 female macroptera, 2 male micropterae, i.2006, iv.2011, iii.2013 ; Brisbane, The Gap , 1 male microptera, 8.i.2009 ; Mt Edith , 1 male microptera, 4.xii.2010 ; Mudlo N.P., 1 male microptera, 21.xii.2011; Bunya Mts, Pitta College , 1 female macroptera, 22.xii.2010 ; Bulburin N.P. [ 120km NW of Bundaberg ], 1 female macroptera, 2 male micropterae, 12.vii.2012 ; Eungella, 2 male micropterae, 14.iv.2011; Mt Bartle Frere , 2 male micropterae, 19.xi.2009 . New South Wales, Sassafras , 1 female microptera, 29.vii.2012 .

Comments. As is clear from the data listed, this species has been taken widely in Queensland, but always in low numbers.

Figures

FIGURES 1–9. Holothrips from Australia. Heads: (1) australis; (2) bunyai sp.n.; (3) eurytis sp.n.; (4) federicae sp.n.; (5) circulus sp.n.; (6) frerei sp.n. (7) lamingtoni sp.n.; (8) notialis sp.n.; (9) lafoae sp.n.

FIGURES 10–16. Holothrips from Australia. Pterothorax and tergites I–II 10–12: (10) frerei sp.n.; (11) speciosissimus; (12) oceanicus. (13) lafoae sp.n., tergites I–II. Tergite IX and tube 14–16: (14) circulus sp.n.; (15) federicae sp.n.; (16) notialis sp.n.

FIGURES 17–24. Holothrips from Australia. Thoracic sternites 17–18: (17) australis; (18) eurytis sp.n. Pterothorax and tergites I–II 19–22: (19) australis; (20) federicae sp.n.; (21) circulus sp.n.; (22) bunyai sp.n. (23–24) notialis sp.n. pelta variation.