Deplorothrips makrus, 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 : 214

Deplorothrips makrus sp.n.

( Figs 6 , 14, 19 , 24 , 42 )

Male aptera: Body and all femora brown, all tibiae and tarsi yellow; antennal segment I brown, II paler at apex, III yellow, IV–V yellow in at least basal third, VI–VIII light brown.

Antennal segment VIII with base broad and scarcely narrower than apex of VII ( Fig. 24 ); IV–VII with narrow pedicel; III and IV each with two sense cones. Head longer than wide ( Fig. 6 ), ocelli absent, cheeks with weak setae; vertex with little or no sculpture except near posterior margin; po setae long and capitate; maxillary pillars about 50 microns long with the levers curving dorsally and apparently scarcely 30 microns long, stylets wide apart, retracted anterior to occipital ridge. Pronotum relatively long with strong median longitudinal apodeme, without sculpture except at posterior margin; am setae minute, remaining setae capitate. Mesonotum with weak transverse lines, lateral setal pair minute. Metanotum almost without sculpture, median setal pair minute. Fore femora massive, fore tarsal tooth almost as long as tarsal width, fore tibia with pale but stout subapical tubercle. Wing lobe scarcely 5 microns across, with or without one small capitate seta. Prosternal ferna well separated medially ( Fig. 19 ), mesopraesternum eroded to two very small sclerites, mesoeusternal anterior margin transverse. Pelta eroded, broadly hat-shaped; tergites with no sculpture, II–VII with 2 pairs of very small straight wing-retaining setae, lateral major setae long and capitate; tergite IX setae S1 weakly capitate, S2 shorter and blunt. Sternites III–V with faint areas of reticulation anterolaterally, VIII with circular pore plate ( Fig. 42 ).

Measurements (holotype male in microns). Body length 1430. Head, length 175; width 125; po setae 50; longest cheek seta 12. Pronotum, length 180; width 200; major setae—am 5, aa 45, ml 40, epim 50, pa 50. Fore wing length 10. Tergite IX setae S1 60, S2 30. Sternite VIII pore plate dimensions 30 x 20. Tube length 100. Antennal segments III–VIII length 48, 48, 50, 40, 35, 30.

Female aptera: Similar to male, but head less elongate and pronotum more transverse, fore legs more slender with small tarsal tooth; tergite IX setae S1 and S2 long and capitate.

Female macroptera: Similar to female aptera, but antennal segment IV with 3 sense cones and segment III with 2 or 3 sense cones; fore wing pale, weakly narrower medially, with 4 duplicated cilia and 2 capitate sub-basal setae; pelta sub-quadrate; tergites each with 2 pairs of sigmoid wing-retaining setae

Material studied. Holotype male aptera, Lord Howe Island, Kim’s Lookout, from dead wood with lichens, 22.xii.2001 ( LAM 4079 ).

Paratypes: Lord Howe Island, 1 female macroptera, taken with holotype; Stevens Trail , 1 female, 1 male apterae from dead branches, 26.xii.2001 . Queensland, Lamington, O’Reilly’s , 2 female apterae, 1 female macroptera from dead branches, 11.x.2006 .

Comments. Although the holotype is considered apterous, it bears a minute wing lobe. It is a large male with expanded fore femora and a large pale tubercle on the tibiae. However, the head has relatively weak cheek setae, but the mouth cone is exceptionally long and pointed, extending between the fore coxae ( Fig. 19 ), although the stylets are not deeply retracted into the head due to the curvature of the maxillary levers. Antennal segment VIII is very weakly constricted at the base ( Fig. 24 ), and the male has a small almost circular pore plate on sternite VIII ( Fig. 42 ). One macropterous female from New Zealand of the bassus -complex has been studied that is similar to the makrus macropterae but has a shorter mouth cone and most or the major setae with pointed apices.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. Deplorothrips species, head and thorax. (1) villosus holotype; (2) diaphorus female macroptera; (3) paspalus holotype; (4) regina holotype; (5) virgulatus male paratype; (6) makrus female macroptera; (7) norfuki holotype.

FIGURES 14 – 19. Deplorothrips species, head and thorax. Large males 14 – 17: (14) makrus holotype; (15) minaei holotype; (16) mongai holotype; (17) villosus. Prosternum 18 – 19: (18) deuae (holotype); (19) makrus.

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.