Neohydatothrips chandrai, Tyagi, Kaomud & Kumar, Vikas, 2016

Tyagi, Kaomud & Kumar, Vikas, 2016, The Sericothripinae genus Neohydatothrips (Thysanoptera, Thripidae) in India with description of two new species, Zootaxa 4132 (3), pp. 438-444 : 440

Neohydatothrips chandrai sp. n.

Female macroptera. Body bicoloured; head brown between the ocellar triangle and with median brown spot after postoccipital ridge; pronotum yellow; meso and metanotum light brown; meso and metasternum yellow with light brown infumation; abdominal segment I yellow with antecostal ridge interrupted medially, III–IV yellow medially and with two brown shade laterally; IV–VI completely yellow; VII–VIII brown, IX–X mainly yellow but with light brown infumation; antecostal ridges on II–VII interrupted in middle, shaded laterally, antecostal ridge on VII complete and dark brown; all legs yellow; fore wings with three pale and three dark bands, basal ¾ of clavus brown ( Fig. 1 ). Antennal segments I–II yellow, III–V yellow with faint infumation apically, remaining segments VI–VIII light grey. Antennae 8-segmented ( Fig. 5 ); segments III and IV each with long forked sense cones and reaching to basal 1/3 of the next segment. Head broader than long, without sculpture lines within the ocellar triangle; occipital apodeme touching to the posterior margin of eyes ( Fig. 3 ); three pairs of ocellar setae; ocellar setae III situated on the tangent of fore and hind ocelli; post-occipital region with very faint transverse narrow reticulation. Eyes with 5 pigmented facets. Pronotum anterior third transversely reticulate without internal markings, blotch defined with transversely striae; posterior margin of blotch deeply concave. Mesonotum with closely spaced transverse striations. Metanotum with linear reticulation, but transverse reticulation medially on posterior third; posterior half sharply pale, median setae close to anterior margin or little behind the anterior margin ( Figs. 8, 9 ). Metasternal plate with median shallow emargination ( Fig. 6 ). Forewing first vein with continuous row of setae but distal setae widely spaced, no setae on second vein ( Fig. 10 ). Tergites I–VI medially without marginal microtrichia ( Fig. 4 ); VII with complete marginal microtrichia but shorter medially; VIII with complete row of marginal microtrichia ( Fig. 7 ); tergite II–VIII with discal microtrichia laterally only, but on VIII few microtrichia medially; tergites IX–X with no discal microtrichia; tergite IX with 2 pairs of mid-dorsal setae ( Fig. 7 ). Sternites without discal setae, sternites II–VII without discal microtrichia and marginal microtrichia. Craspedum absent on tergites and sternites.

Measurements of holotype female in microns. Body length 930. Head, length 80; width across eyes 160; eyes length 60, width 49, distance between two compound eyes 75. Pronotum, length 85; width 185; pronotal blotch length (12 median, 68 lateral); width 121; blotch posteroangular setae 30. Metanotum median setae length 32. Fore wing length 645. Antennal segments I to VIII length (width) as follows: 18 (22), 39 (24), 68 (17), 51 (17), 52 (17), 43 (12), 7 (5) and 10 (4).

Male macroptera. Colour similar to female ( Fig. 2 ); abdominal sternites without pore areas.

Material studied. Holotype female (macroptera), INDIA, Rajasthan, Udaipur District: Rajasthan College of Agriculture (24º34'86.8" N 073º42'17.7'E, 1900 ft) from leaves of a hedge plant, 27.xii.2014, Kumar & Tyagi (Reg. 7293/H17). Paratypes: 17 females, 1 male with same data as holotype, (Registration No. 7294/ H17 to 7311/H17).

Etymology. This species is named in honour of Dr. Kailash Chandra, Director, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata for his continuous effort to revamp taxonomy in India.

Comments. According to the key to southeast Asian species of Neohydatothrips by Wang (2007), this new species is similar to N. tabulifer , but can be differentiated by the absence of posteromarginal microtrichia at the middle of tergites II–VI, fore wings with three pale and three dark bands, the posterior margin of blotch concave and absence of pore plates on male abdominal sternites.

According to the key to Australian species of Neohydatothrips by Mound & Tree (2009), this new species is similar to N. bellisi in general appearance but can be readily distinguished by the following character states: N. bellisi has ocellar setae III situated at the posterior margin of hind ocelli within the ocellar triangle, metanotum with linear reticulation and metasternal plate anterior margin straight, whereas this new species has ocellar setae III situated between fore and hind ocelli at the lateral tangent of ocellar triangle, metanotum with linear reticulation, but transverse reticulation posteriorly and metasternal plate anterior margin with slight shallow emargination medially. This new species also resembles N. katherinae for the shape of pronotal blotch but can be differentiated by the short mouthcone, absence of pore areas on male abdominal sternites, and colour of the fore wing and body.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 10. Neohydatothrips chandrai sp. n. (1) Female; (2) Male; (3) Head and pronotum, female; (4) Tergites II – III, female; (5) Antenna, female; (6) Meso- and metasterna, female; (7) Tergites VII-X, female; (8) Meso- and metanota, Male; (9) Meso- and metanota, female; (10) fore wing, female.