Hoplothrips, Amyot & Serville, 1843

Mound, Laurence A., Wang, Jun & Tree, Desley J., 2020, The genus Hoplothrips in Australia (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae), with eleven new species, Zootaxa 4718 (3), pp. 301-323 : 317-320

Hoplothrips tarsus sp. n.

( Figs 19 , 27 , 55 )

Female macroptera (dealate). Body, legs and antennae light brown; tarsi and tibiae almost yellow, and bases of antennal segments III–VI pale. Head without sculpture except near posterior margin; genae widest behind eyes, narrowed to base; hind ocelli close to eyes; dorsal length of compound eyes greater than one third of head length; postocular setae pointed, as long as dorsal eye length; maxillary stylets retracted to postocular setae and about one fifth of head width apart medially ( Fig. 19 ). Antennal segments III and IV each with 2 sense cones, III–VIII each with pedicel. Pronotum without sculpture; major setae pointed, but only epim setae long; notopleural sutures incomplete anteriorly ( Fig. 19 ). Mesonotum without sculpture, lateral setal pair minute; metanotum without sculpture, median setae small and acute. Prosternal basantra absent, ferna slender, transverse, but not meeting medially; mesopresternum absent, mesoeusternal anterior margin strongly eroded ( Fig. 27 ). Fore tarsal tooth absent. Fore wing with 2 small sub-basal setae. Pelta triangular with weak lateral wings, posterior margin eroded ( Fig. 55 ); tergites III–VII each with pair of weakly curved wing-retaining setae, median marginal setae arising laterally; tergite VIII median setae moderately developed; tergite IX setae S1 and S2 finely pointed, shorter than tube; anal setae much shorter than tube.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 2680. Head, length 208; width 212; postocular setae 76, distance between their bases 180; postocellar setae 15, distance between their bases 72. Pronotum, length 150; median width 260; major setae am 8, aa 33, ml 24, epim 83, pa 40. Mesonotum lateral setae 8; metanotum median setae 24. Tergite IV median marginal setae 65; tergite VIII median setae 45, tergite IX setae S1 113, S2 131. Tube length 165. Anal setae 78. Antennal segments III–VIII length (width) 63 (35), 58 (35), 55 (33), 47 (31), 40 (26), 50 (15).

Specimens studied. Holotype female macroptera (dealate). Australian Capital Territory, Black Mountain , from Eucalyptus dead branches, 30.iv.2011 ( LAM 5500 ).

Non-paratype: Norfolk Island, Prince Philip Drive, 1 female macroptera from leaf litter, 26.xi.2014.

Comments. The non-paratype is closely similar to the holotype in structure but has antennal segment IV with four sense cones. Although generally similar to H. reedi in structure, particularly in the notopleural sutures being incomplete anteriorly ( Fig. 19 ), the female of tarsus has no fore tarsal tooth, the prosternal ferna are not continuous medially ( Fig. 27 ), antennal segment III has two sense cones, and the pronotal setae and the tube are longer.

Figures

FIGURES 10–20. Hoplothrips species—head and pronotum. (10) lowdeni male; (11) lowdeni female; (12) nelsoni male; (13) nelsoni female; (14) oakeyi female; (15) oakeyi male; (16) reedi male; (17) reedi pronotum; (18) melanurus pronotum; (19) tarsus; (20) semicaecus female macroptera.

FIGURES 21–30. Hoplothrips species. Head 21–22 (21) wrightae female; (22) wrightae male. Prosternum 23–30 (23) bellingeni; (24) fungosus; (25) lihongae; (26) lowdeni male; (27) tarsus; (28) wrightae; (29) reedi; (30) woodsi (B–basantra; F–ferna; M–mesoeusternum anterior margin).

FIGURES 53–66. Hoplothrips species. Metanotum & pelta 53–54 (53) oudeus; (54) woodsi. (55) tarsus pelta. (56) lamingtoni tergite II. Male sternite VIII pore plate 57–64 (57) corticis; (58) lihongae; (59) wrightae; (60) oakeyi; (61) reedi; (62) melanurus (VII–VIII); (63) poultoni; (64) woodsi. Male sternites 65–66 (65) giganteus (VII); (66) melanurus (V–VI).