Dactuliothrips monttea n. sp.

Female: Body color dark brown (Fig. 8). Fore tibiae and tarsi lighter; fore wings pale in the basal quarter, light brown in the middle area, with a paler spot near the apex (Fig. 79); major setae dark brown; antennae dark, but segments III–IV pale and segment II with pale apex (Fig. 15).

Head (Fig. 25) about as long as wide, reticulate striate without microtrichia, cheeks slightly arched. Ocellar setae III longer than ocellar setae I and II; bases of ocellar setae III inside ocellar triangle. Postocular setae I and III longer than the other postoculars. Antennae with rings or annulations covered with microtrichia which are faint on segment I (Fig. 15). Antennal segments III & IV with two circular and emergent sensoria at apex. Pronotum more than twice as wide as long (Fig. 33); reticulate striate; all major setae developed four pairs on anterior margin, five longer pairs on posterior margin. Microtrichia absent on pronotum. Mesonotum reticulate striate (Fig. 40) covered with microtrichia on posterior three-quarters. Metanotum reticulate arcuate, covered with microtrichia on median anterior area with one pair of setae on anterior margin (Fig. 40). Metapleura covered with small microtrichia. Fore tibia with two pairs of well-developed slightly curved setae on internal anterior margin; fore femora thickened and armed with between 3–5 heavy spurs on inner anterior margin (Fig. 64). Hind tibiae with about five well-developed setae on apex. Fore wings (Fig. 79) rounded at apex with five cross veins; fore vein with around 21 setae, hind vein with 17. Abdomen broad (Fig. 8) with rounded apex. Tergites with faint transverse reticulation with microtrichia laterally; tergite VIII covered with microtrichia. Sternites without microtrichia, with 7–11 well-developed discal setae (Fig. 47); sternite VII with three pairs of posteromarginal setae and two pairs of supernumerary setae aligned with the posteromarginal setae and similar in length to those (Fig. 52).

Measurements: Female holotype (in microns). Total body length 1,820; head length 198, width 232; interocellar setae III 59; distance between their bases 17; postocular setae (outer) 78, (inner) 51. Pronotum length 139, width 312. Fore wings length 900, width 160. Antennal segments length (width): I, 25 (22); II, 42 (34); III, 66 (27); IV, 54 (27); V, 47 (22); VI, 49 (22); VII, 49 (17); VIII, 44 (17); IX, 61 (12).

Male: Smaller than female, and similar in color (Fig. 9). Fore femur stronger than in female, with 3–4 heavy spurs on inner anterior margin; the first spur about three times bigger than the other spurs, with an enlarged and broadened base; the other spurs near the apex of the femur (Figs 65, 76). Fore tibia with two developed setae on anterior margin; one with a distinct claw bearing a setae (Fig. 74). Abdominal tergite I with a pair of longitudinal ridges that reach the anterior margin (Fig. 57). Abdominal sternites without discal setae, with three pairs of posteromarginal setae and microtrichia laterally (Fig. 61).

Measurements: Male paratype (in microns). Total body length 1,430; head length 178, width 200; interocellar setae III 56; distance between their bases 17; postocular setae (outer) 71, (inner) 61. Pronotum length 122, width 276. Fore wings length 810, width 150. Antennal segments length (width): I, 27 (34); II, 37 (34); III, 65 (27); IV, 51 (27); V, 42 (22); VI, 44 (22); VII, 39 (20); VIII, 36 (17); IX, 49 (12).

Material examined. Holotype female, Argentina, Mendoza, El Carrizal, on Monttea aphylla ( Scrophulariaceae) (Fig. 3), 25.x.2009 (C. de Borbón) in EEA Mendoza INTA. Paratypes: 8 females, 7 males same data as holotype in EEA Mendoza INTA and Instituto Fundación Miguel Lillo (IFML), Argentina.

Comments. This species is closely related to kaszabi and prosopis sp.n. as they share fore wings with a pale area near the base, and ocellar setae III less-developed than in other Dactuliothrips species. However, it can be easily distinguished from kaszabi due to the absence of microtrichia on the head and abdominal sternites. Furthermore, males have one pair of complete longitudinal ridges on abdominal tergite I (Fig. 57). It can be distinguished from prosopis sp.n. by the presence of microtrichia in the mesonotum and metanotum, and in the abdominal tergite VIII. Also males of montea sp.n. have the first spur on the fore femur with a thickened base; the spur is approximately 3 times longer than the other spurs on the femur (Fig. 76), and the fore tibia has an anterior claw (Fig. 74). D. monttea sp.n. was collected in a desert plain area in Mendoza, Argentina.