Deplorothrips retis, Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2016

Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2016, Australian mycophagous species of the genus Deplorothrips (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae), Zootaxa 4208 (3), pp. 201-220 : 218

Deplorothrips retis sp.n.

( Figs 12 , 30 , 35 )

Male macroptera: Body and legs dark brown with red internal pigment, but fore tarsi paler; antennal segment III brownish-yellow with apex darker, IV–VI pale in basal third; major setae pale except po and pronotal aa, ml and pa that are dark; fore wing weakly shaded.

Antennal segment VIII broad at base, IV–VII with narrow pedicel ( Fig. 30 ); III and IV each with two sense cones. Head longer than wide, cheeks with weak setae; vertex reticulate, po setae scarcely reaching posterior margin of eyes; maxillary stylets retracted to just anterior to po setae, less than one-fifth of head width apart ( Fig. 12 ). Pronotum transverse, surface very weakly reticulate; major setae all small. Mesonotum transversely reticulate, lateral setal pair small. Metanotum reticulate ( Fig. 35 ), major setal pair pointed. Fore tarsal tooth length about 0.5 of tarsal width; apex of fore tibia with no tubercle. Fore wing broad, narrowing to apex, with about 10 duplicated cilia, sub-basal setae short. Prosternal ferna almost meeting medially, mesopraesternum eroded to 3 sclerites. Pelta reticulate ( Fig. 35 ); tergites reticulate, II–VII with 2 pairs of sigmoid setae, lateral major setae weakly capitate; tergite IX setae S1 with apex blunt, S2 short and blunt. Sternite VIII with narrow transverse pore plate extending fully across sternite to lateral margins.

Measurements (holotype male macroptera in microns). Body length 2050. Head, length 210; width 195; po setae 25; longest cheek seta 10. Pronotum, length 150; width 280; major setae—am 5, aa 20, ml 20, epim 45, pa 30. Mesonotal lateral seta 10. Fore wing length 730. Tergite IX setae S1 120, S2 35. Sternite VIII pore plate dimensions 130 x 10. Tube length 180. Antennal segments III–VIII length 55, 50, 55, 50, 50, 25.

Male microptera: very similar in structure to macroptera, but metathorax broader; fore wing shorter than thorax width, with three sub-basal setae.

Female microptera: similar in structure to male microptera, tergite IX setae S1 and S2 long with apices blunt.

Material studied. Holotype male macroptera, South Australia, 20km north of Meningie, from a lichen, Xanthoria parietina , 15.i.2002 ( LAM 4101 /2).

Paratypes: 1 female, 3 male micropterae collected with holotype.

Comments. This species is possibly not closely related to the other species of Deplorothrips . It is one of two species placed in this genus that have the stylets deeply retracted and only one third of the head width apart. In contrast to the second species, deuae , the available specimens are not sufficiently cleared to measure the length of the maxillary pillars, but they seem to be about 70 microns long, with long maxillary levers. It is the only species considered here that has the postocular setae and three of the pronotal major setal pairs dark in colour, the fore wing is shaded and bears 10 duplicated cilia, and the postocular setae are unusually short. In general appearance it is similar to Trichothrips connexus Hood , from Australia, a species that lacks duplicated cilia on the fore wings and is currently listed under Hoplothrips . However, neither connexus nor retis can be considered as closely related to corticis DeGeer, the type species of Hoplothrips .

Figures

FIGURES 8 – 13. Deplorothrips species, head and thorax. (8) chydaeus female; (9) capitalis holotype; (10) howei holotype; (11) minaei female; (12) retis holotype; (13) deuae female.

FIGURES 20 – 32. Deplorothrips species, antennae. (20) diaphorus, macroptera, segments IV – VIII ventral; (21) chydaeus; (22) deuae (holotype); (23) howei; (24) makrus; (25) minaei; (26) mongai; (27) norfuki; (28) paspalus; (29) regina; (30) retis; (31) virgulatus; (32) villosus.

FIGURES 33 – 47. Deplorothrips species, metanotum and male sternites. (33) howei, large male, meso and metanotum. (34) regina, metanotum and tergites I – II. (35) retis, metanotum and pelta. (36) villosus, large male, metanotum and tergites I – II. (37) norfuki, holotype metanotum and tergites I – II. Male sternite VIII pore plate 38 – 44: (38) chydaeus; (39) deuae; (40) diaphorus; (41) howei; (42) makrus; (43) mongai; (44) villosus. (45) howei, male fore tarsus & tibia. Male sternites V – VI 46 – 47: (46) capitalis; (47) diaphorus.