Odontothrips iranensis, Mirab-Balou, Majid, Tong, Xiao-Li, Wang, Jun & Chen, Xue-Xin, 2013

Mirab-Balou, Majid, Tong, Xiao-Li, Wang, Jun & Chen, Xue-Xin, 2013, A new Odontothrips species (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) from Iran, Zootaxa 3736 (5), pp. 598-600 : 598-600

Odontothrips iranensis sp. n.

( Figs 1–6 )

Female macroptera. Body brown to dark brown, except tarsi, fore tibia and antennal segment III completely yellow ( Fig. 2 ). Fore wing banded with brown and white color ( Fig. 6 ); clavus completely white.

Head 1.6 times as wide as long, with transverse lines behind compound eyes, and a few striation in front of for ocellus; three pairs of ocellar setae present, pair III long and situated outside of ocellar triangle; 5 pairs of small postocular setae present ( Fig. 1 ). Mouth cone pointed, reaching to fore coxae. Antennae 8-segmented, segment I with a pair of dorso-apical median setae; segments III and IV each with forked sensorium; segments III–VI with rows of microtrichia dorsally and ventrally; segment VI the longest, with base of external sensorium enlarged, about 0.3–0.5 as long as total length of this sensorium ( Fig. 3 ); segment VI with very small simple sensorium on outer, but no additional sensorium on inner margin and with 4–9 mostly long setae; segment VIII longer than VII, about 1.4 times. Ratio length/ width of antennal segments I–VIII as follows: 0.8, 1.5, 2.6, 2.8, 2.5, 2.7, 1.3, and 2.6.

Pronotum 1.4 times as wide as long, with about 13–15 discal setae; inner posteroangular setae about 1.3 times as long as outer setae. Ferna undivided and with small teeth on upper side. Mesonotum weakly sculptured, with a pair of campaniform sensilla antero-medially; median pair of setae close to posterior margin. Metascutum reticulated medially, laterally with transverse striae; median pair of long setae situated at anterior margin; a pair of metanotal campaniform sensilla present. Mesosternum with spinula, metasternum without spinula. Fore tibia and fore tarsus without any teeth ( Fig. 5 ). Fore wing first vein with 14–16 basal setae and 2 distal setae; second vein with complete row of setae, about 12– 14 setae; clavus with 6 marginal setae and one discal seta ( Fig. 6 ).

Abdominal tergite I with transversely reticulate sculpture; tergites II–VIII with no sculpture medially; tergal median setae (S1) smaller than S2; tergite VIII with scattered microtrichia in front of spiracle, posteromarginal comb present laterally, median posterior margin completely smooth; tergites VII & VIII with median pair of setae longer than other tergites, almost as long as S2; tergite IX with median pair of setae normal, not stout and not reaching to posterior margin of this tergite; tergite X divided incompletely. Abdominal sternites without discal setae; sternite II with 2 pairs of marginal setae, III–VII with three pairs of marginal setae, median pair situated in front of posterior margin on VII.

Measurements (Holotype in microns) Length (width). Body 1478(411). Head 109(179); interocellar setae length 53, distance between base of interocellar setae 39; ocellar setae pair I length 11, II 20. Pronotum 160(231); pronotal posteroangular setae: inner 91, outer 67. Fore wing 877(54), hind wing 780(43). Antennal segments I–VIII as follows: I 26 (33), II 44 (28), III 50 (19), IV 54 (19), V 46 (18), VI 62 (23), VII 11 (8), and VIII 16 (6); sensorium on antennal VI length 28, length of base 22.

Male macroptera. Body length 1.1–1.2 mm. Colored as female, and apex of fore femora is also yellow. Abdominal tergite IX with one pair of small normal setae on posterior margin medially, no stout short setae and no posteromarginal tubercle ( Fig. 4 ); sternites without discal setae and any pore plates. Genitalia bearing one pair of endothecal stout spines.

Material examined. Holotype female (in ILAMU): IRAN: HAMEDAN Province, Qahavand, from Alfalfa ( Medicago sativa ), 25.v.2012, coll. M. Mirab-balou. Paratypes (in ILAMU, 2 slides in SCAU): 10 females, 2 males, collected with holotype.

Remarks. At species level this new species is unique in the fore wing colour, the lack of fore tibial and fore tarsal tubercles, and the metascutum with transverse striae laterally. Amongst Iranian Odontothrips , this new species is readily distinguished by the absence of any teeth on the fore tibia- and tarsus (see key by Mirab-balou and Chen 2011: 946).

According to the above character on the fore leg, this new species is similar to O. yunnanensis from China (Xie et al. 2010), but is distinguished from that by: fore wing banded, with clavus completely white (vs. fore wing including clavus brown, with basal quarter pale in yunnanensis ); male antennal segment III yellow (vs. II & III yellow in yunnanensis ); and male tergite IX with one pair of small normal setae on posterior margin medially (vs. with pair of stout sigmoid processes on posterior margin in yunnanensis ).

Acknowledgements

The first author would like to thanks Prof. Zhang Wei-qiu for his useful advice.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Odontothrips iranensis sp. n.: (1) head; (2) antenna; (3) antennal segments VI – VIII; (4) abdominal tergite IX (male); (5) fore leg, apex of tibia to tarsus; (6) fore wing.