Mesandrothrips austrosteensia, Mound & Tree, 2019

Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2019, Rediagnoses of the Asian genera Xylaplothrips and Mesandrothrips (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae, Haplothripini), with keys to Australian species, Zootaxa 4613 (2), pp. 327-341 : 332-333

Mesandrothrips austrosteensia sp.n.

( Figs 5 , 9 , 19, 20)

Female macroptera. Body and femora brown, tarsi and fore tibiae brownish-yellow, mid and hind tibiae light brown; antennal segment I as brown as head, II yellow toward apex, III mainly yellow, IV–V yellow in basal third but light brown distally, VI light brown, VII–VIII dark brown; fore wings pale to very lightly shaded; all major setae pale. Head longer than wide ( Fig. 19 ), projecting very slightly in front of eyes; vertex with weak sculpture lines; eyes longer dorsally than ventrally; postocular setae arising laterally, weakly capitate and not extending far beyond posterior margin of eyes; maxillary stylets short, low in head; mouth cone short and rounded. Antennal segments III–IV with sense cones short and stout, V–VII with distinct pedicels, VIII slender and narrowed to base. Pronotum slightly longer than wide ( Fig. 19 ), without sculpture lines but with median longitudinal apodeme; pronotal am setae minute, remaining major setae weakly capitate. Fore femora swollen, fore tibiae short and stout, fore tarsal tooth massive ( Fig. 5 ). Mesonotum weakly sculptured, lateral setae small ( Fig. 20 ); metanotum without sculpture anteromedially, weakly reticulate posteromedially, median setae small and acute. Mesopresternum entire; metathoracic sternopleural sutures present but narrow. Fore wing with about 9 duplicated cilia; sub-basal setae rather short, S1 and S2 capitate, S3 acute. Pelta with short wings posterolaterally; tergites II–VII each with two pairs of sigmoid wingretaining setae, of which the most posterior pair on III–VI is much larger than the anterior pair; tergite II with an extra pair of curved setae anterolateral to sigmoid setae; tergites III–VI with posteroangular setae S1 and S2 weakly capitate, VII with S2 pointed; tergite IX setae S1 and S2 pointed, shorter than tube.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 2550. Head, length 290; width 190; postocular setae 50. Pronotum, length 260; width 250; major setae, aa 25, ml 40, epim 65, pa 45. Fore wing length I 000; sub-basal setae 45, 45, 55. Tergite V posteromarginal setae S1 90, S2 85. Tergite IX setae S1 140, S2 140. Tube, length 190; basal width 70. Antennal segments III–VIII length 70, 68, 60, 55, 50, 45.

Male microptera. Similar to female in colour and structure; tergite IX setae S2 short and stout; sternite VIII without a pore plate; pseudovirga apex similar to that of many species of Haplothrips .

Measurements (paratype male in microns). Body length 2450. Head, length 260; width 165; postocular setae 50. Pronotum, length 250; width 250; major setae aa 50, ml 60, epim 70, pa 45. Tergite IX setae S1 130; S2 40. Tube, length 180; basal width 65.

Material studied Female holotype, Australia, New South Wales, Brisbane, The Gap , Allamanda Street , from leaf gall on Austrosteensia blackii [ Fabaceae ], 24.xi.2007 ( DJT 569 ), in ANIC .

Paratypes, all from same site and vine: 4 males taken with holotype ; 3 females, 1 male, 10.i.2008 ; 3 females, 18.i.2008 ; 14 females, 7 males, 18.ii.2008 ; 2 females, 5 males, 22.vi.2008 (in ANIC & QDPC) .

Comments. This species shares many structural character states with species of the Haplothripini , but is remarkable for the short maxillary stylets, the massive nature of the fore legs, and the elongate pronotum. It is not closely related to M. inquilinus , but is presumably adapted to invading the unusual leaf galls of its thripid host, Cyrilthrips cecidis . Tree and Mound (2009) reported that these leaf-fold galls sometimes have an additional marginal flap that inhibits such invasion. They concluded that this thrips is not a predator, but behaves as a kleptoparasite. The adults and larvae feed on the inner tissues of the galls induced by C. cecidis , and pupae occur within the galls.

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. Xylaplothrips and Mesandrothrips. X. anarsius 1–4: (1) head & pronotum; (2) antenna; (3) meso & metanota, pelta and tergite II; (4) prosternum. (5) M. austrosteensia fore leg. (6) M. darci, prosternum. (7) M. googongi prosternum. (8) M. clavipes prosternum.

FIGURES 9–18. Mesandrothrips species.Antennae 9–14: (9) austrosteensia; (10) clavipes; (11) googongi; (12) inquilinus; (13) kurandae; (14) lamingtoni; (15) oleariae; (16) pictipes. (17) googongi male aedeagus. (18) darci antennal segments II–V.

FIGURES 19–25. Mesandrothrips species. austrosteensia 19–20: (19) head & pronotum; (20) meso & metanota, pelta and tergite II. (21) googongi head & pronotum. (22) lamingtoni head & pronotum. (23) oleariae head & pronotum. (24) pictipes head, thorax & pelta. (25) kurandae pronotum.