Rhamphothrips cissus, Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2011

Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2011, New records and four new species of Australian Thripidae (Thysanoptera) emphasise faunal relationships between northern Australia and Asia, Zootaxa 2764, pp. 35-48 : 43-44

Rhamphothrips cissus sp. n.

Female macroptera. Body and legs yellow, with extreme apex of tergum X brown, antennal segments V–VIII light brown, IV shaded in apical third; forewings weakly shaded in basal half. Head and pronotum ( Fig. 24 ), mesonotum, terga, sterna and forewing similar to amyae ; metanotal median setae not at anterior margin ( Fig. 25 ), campaniform sensilla present; median area with irregular longitudinal reticulation but striate laterally; fore tibia without apical tubercle; ovipositor often long, more than 270 microns.

Measurements (paratype female in microns). Body length 1050. Head, dorsal length 30; width across eyes 90; ventral length to tip of mouth cone 220. Pronotum, length 130; maximum width 125; posteroangular major seta 15. Forewing length 460. Ovipositor length 275. Antennal segments III–VIII length 32, 30, 30, 38, 7, 10.

Male macroptera. Similar to female in general structure and colour, but with considerable differences between large and small males. Small male fore tibia with one apical seta arising from small tubercle; large male with tubercle larger or forming a major recurved claw with the seta arising sub-apically; fore coxa without tubercle. Terga III–V with craspeda weakly lobed medially, V or VI–VII with craspeda strongly toothed laterally ( Fig. 21 ); tergum IX median pair of setae small, arising close together on weak median elevation, laterally with a few broadly based microtrichia. Sterna with no pore plates; sternum IX with transverse band of fine microtrichia.

Measurements (holotype male in microns). Body length 900. Head, dorsal length 30; width across eyes 85; ventral length to tip of mouth cone 175. Pronotum, length 120; maximum width 120; posteroangular major seta 18. Forewing length 410. Antennal segments III–VIII length 30, 30, 30, 35, 7, 10.

Larva II. Yellow, tergum X dark on posterior half, antennal segments lightly shaded; abdominal terga each with three pairs of setae with broadly capitate and fimbriate apices, similar setae on head and thorax.

Material studied. Holotype male, Australia, New South Wales, Kiama, Jamberoo Mt Rd, from Cissus antarctica leaves, 3.xi.2002 (LAM 4206).

Paratypes, all from Cissus antarctica: New South Wales, 5 females, 1 male taken with holotype (also several larvae); Dorrigo, 2 females, 22.iii.1995; Narara, 3 females, 2 males, 16.viii.1995; Taree, Lansdowne, 1 female, 2 males with larvae, 13.iv.2002. Queensland, Brisbane Forest Park, 4 females, 4 males, 16.i.2006; same locality, 2 females, 1 male, 29.x.2008; Mt Nebo, 3 females, 30.x.2007.

Comments. Apparently host specific to the young terminal leaves of Cissus (Vitaceae) , females of this species are similar to those of R. amyae although the males are readily distinguished. The females are also similar to an Indian species, R. parviceps Hood , in lacking any fore tibial tooth, but differ in that both S1 and S2 setae on sternum VII of females are elongate. Bhatti (1977: 576) refers to a species in India from Acacia suma that was misidentified by Ramakrishna (1928) as parviceps . Judging from specimens studied recently from Acacia nilotica in Tamil Nadu, this undescribed species shares with cissus the dark antennal segments V–VI and equally long setae on sternum VII. However, the ovipositor is only 225 microns long in these specimens, whereas it is usually (but not always) far longer in R. cissus .

Figures

FIGURES 24 – 26. Rhamphothrips cissus. (24) head & pronotum; (25) meso & metanotum, abdominal terga I – II; (26) mouth cone and pterothoracic sterna.

FIGURES 15 – 23. Rhamphothrips species. R. amyae 15 – 19: (15) antenna; (16) head & pronotum; (17) male terga V – IX; (18) female sterna VI – VII; (19) male fore tibia & tarsus. R. cissus 20 – 21: (20) thoracic sterna; (21) male terga V – IX. R. pandens (22) male terga IV – IX. R. tenuirostris (23) male terga VI – IX.