Holopothrips molzi Lindner, Mendonça Jr. & Cavalleri

Lindner, Mariana F., Ferrari, Augusto, Mound, Laurence A. & Cavalleri, Adriano, 2018, Holopothrips diversity-a Neotropical genus of gall-inducing insects (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripidae), Zootaxa 4494 (1), pp. 1-99 : 67

Holopothrips molzi Lindner, Mendonça Jr. & Cavalleri

( Figs 188–190 )

Holopothrips molzi Lindner, Mendonça & Cavalleri, 2016: 141 .

Diagnostic features. Body (except antenna) uniformly brown; antennal segments III–IV with two sense cones each; maxillary stylets V-shaped; pronotal setae mostly small, except for the two long pairs on epimeral region; metanotal sculpture formed by slightly elongate reticles, without internal markings; males without pore plates; female spermatheca not enlarged.

Comments. This brown species was recently described from Southern Brazil inducing marginal leaf fold galls on Myrcia guianensis. It is remarkable for being one of eight species of Holopothrips whose males lack pore plates. Holopothrips molzi resembles H. conducans in having the pronotum with two pairs of long setae on the epimera, and the metanotum bearing longitudinally elongate reticulation ( Fig. 190 ). However, the am setae on H. molzi are always minute and males do not have sternal pore plates. Larvae are mainly white with red internal pigmentation forming rings around the thorax and abdomen. The galls induced by H. molzi ( Fig. 3 ) are usually invaded by the phytophagous Myrciathrips variabilis, which also feeds and breeds inside the gall ( Lindner et al. 2016).

Material studied. 2 male and 2 female paratypes; Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul, São Francisco de Paula, Pró- Mata , in Myrcia guianensis gall, 17.ii.2014 (Cavalleri, A.), at UFRGS. Slide codes UFRGS 3687 , UFRGS 3688 , UFRGS 3718 and UFRGS 3719 .

Figures

FIGURES 183–190. Holopothrips mariae and H. molzi. 183–187. Holopothrips mariae paratypes: (183) body; (184) head and pronotum; (185) mesonotum, metanotum and pelta; (186) spermatheca; (187) prosternum, showing basantra (white arrows); 188–190. Holopothrips molzi paratypes: (188) body; (189) head and prosternum; (190) pronotum, mesonotum, metanotum, pelta and abdominal tergite II.

FIGURES 1–9. Leaf-galls induced by Holopothrips (white arrows). (1) galls on Siphoneugena reitzii (by H. curiosus); (2) galls on Myrciaria floribunda (by H. spermathecus) (Photo: André Santana); (3) gall on Myrcia guianensis (by H. molzi); (4) gall on Myrcia retorta (by H. striatus); (5) gall on Myrcia sp. (by H. cardosoi) (Photo: João C. Cardoso); (6) gall on Myrcia splendens (by H. conducans); (7) gall on Myrcia splendens (by H. longisetus); (8) gall on Myrcia selloi (by H. acrioris); (9) galls on Neomitranthes obscura (by H. varicolor) (Photo: Sheila Carvalho-Fernandes).