Frankliniella inesae, Borbón & Zamar, 2018

Borbón, Carlos Manuel De & Zamar, María Inés, 2018, Two new species of Frankliniella (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) from Argentina with a key to species from Argentina and Chile, Zootaxa 4369 (3), pp. 419-431 : 427-428

Frankliniella inesae sp. n.

(Figs 2, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 22, 28, 32, 35, 38, 43)

Female macroptera. Body and legs brown, fore tibiae and tarsus slightly paler; antennal segment I–II and V–VIII brown, segment III paler, segment IV darker than III and paler than V; fore wings shaded brown with a pale basal area between second vein and posterior margin. Head about 0.6 times as long as wide, posterior region with few transverse sculpture lines; ocellar setae pair III shorter than diameter of a hind ocellus, arising near and in front of hind ocelli; six pairs of postocular setae, pair IV not distinctly longer than others. Antennal segment III pedicel simple. Pronotum trapezoidal, about 1.5 times as wide as long, broad lines of sculpture forming transverse reticles, about 34 small setae; three pairs of more developed setae, two at posterior angles, the other sub-medially at posterior margin; aa and am setae equal to or scarcely longer than discal setae. Mesonotum with elongate transverse reticles of wide lines. Metanotum with broad irregularly reticulate lines; paired campaniform sensilla present. Abdominal tergites IV–VIII with ctenidia laterally; tergite VII with craspedum of very small triangular teeth, ended in a short microtrichium; VIII with a complete posteromarginal comb of microtrichia arising from triangular bases; S1 setae on IX clearly shorter than S2 and tergite X. Sternite III with one oval pore plate placed at middle, just behind antecostal ridge.

Measurements (holotype, with range from 30 paratypes). Body distended length 1230 (1010–1493). Head, length 79 (64–91); width 127 (103–154); dorsal eye length 54 (46–63); setae io III length 8 (4–9), interval between bases 19 (19–27); setae po IV length 6 (4–8). Pronotum, length 121 (115–140); width 174 (171–208); setae – am 7 (5–12), aa 7 (5–9), paI 27 (22–43), paII 23 (19–36), pm II 14 (10–19). Fore wing, length 561 (530–667); width 45 (37–51). Abdominal tergite IX length 45 (37–51), S1 setae 45 (38–47), S2 setae 77 (63–84), S3 setae 70 (61–88); abdominal tergite X length 66 (63–86), S1 setae 102 (79–109), S2 setae 84 (60–94). Antennal segments length/ width: 17/21, 27/27, 34/17, 27/18, 21/18, 35/19, 8/7, 15/4.

Male macroptera. Smaller than female, body uniformly brown; posterior margin of abdominal tergite VIII with complete comb of microtrichia; abdominal sternites III–VII with almost circular pore plates.

Measurements. Body length (distended) 961–986. Head, length (width) 60–80 (110–124). Pronotum, length (width), 103–110 (150–162); setae – am 6–7, aa 6–7, pa I 18–26, pa II 15–20, pm II 7–12. Fore wing length (width) 477–542 (36–42). Pore plates length (width) 9–14 (11–16).

Comments. This species seems to be related to other South American species, such australis , bambusae , catharinesnsis, colihue , juancarlosi sp. n., magellanica , otites , tympanona and valdiviana . Females of these nine species have pore plates on sternite III, but in inesae , magellanica , tympanona and valdiviana there is a single pore plate placed centrally. This new species is remarkable in having very short or even minute pronotal aa and am setae. Moreover, all the major setae are comparatively short, ocellar setae pair III are placed in front of each posterior ocellus, and the antennal segments are short and compact. This species was confused with F. valdiviana by de Borbón et al. (1999) and that error was repeated in subsequent publications (de Borbón 2005, 2007, 2013). A description of the larva was given by de Borbón (2007). This new species seems to be particularly common in Mendoza and San Juan, living on flowers of Baccharis spp. [ Asteraceae ].

Material examined. Holotype female, Argentina: San Juan, Media Agua, 14.i.2008, on Baccharis salifolia [ Asteraceae ] (C. de Borbón) (in IADIZA, Mendoza)

Paratypes: 10 males and 36 females collected with holotype. Mendoza, also on same host as holotype: Vista Flores, 19 females, 28.xii.2007; Mayor Drummond, 7 females, 24.ii.1994; 1 female, 1 male, 24.xi.1994. Potrerillos, 2 females on Gochnatia glutinosa [ Asteraceae ], 18.xii.2002, 8 females on Baccharis salifolia, 1.iii.2008. Villavicencio, 2 females on Proustia cuneifolia f. mendocina [ Asteraceae ], 14.ii.2010, 2 females on Bidens andicola [ Asteraceae ], 2.iv.2009. El Carrizal, 1 female, 1 male on Tricomaria usillo [ Malpighiaceae ] 18.ix.2007. Lavalle, 1 female on Baccaris salifolia, 20.i.1993 (C. de Borbón).

Etymology. This species is dedicated to María Inés Pastor for their friendship.