Deplorothrips minaei, 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 : 214-215

Deplorothrips minaei sp.n.

( Figs 11 , 15 , 25 )

Male aptera: Body and all femora brown, mid and hind tibiae light brown with tarsi paler; fore tibiae and tarsi brownish-yellow; antennal segments light brown, III paler in basal half.

Antennal segment VIII broad at base, IV–VII narrowed evenly to pedicel ( Fig. 25 ); III with one sense cone, IV with two. Head longer than wide ( Fig. 15 ), ocelli absent, cheeks with weak setae; vertex with little or no sculpture except near posterior margin; po setae long and weakly capitate; maxillary pillars about 55 microns long with the levers curving dorsally and apparently about 40 microns long, stylets retracted almost to po setae, about one third of head width apart with distinct maxillary bridge. Pronotum with strong median longitudinal apodeme, without sculpture; am setae minute, remaining setae weakly capitate. Mesonotum with weak transverse lines, lateral setal pair minute, no wing lobe. Metanotum without sculpture, median setal pair slender and acute. Fore femora stout, fore tarsal tooth almost as long as tarsal width, fore tibia with small subapical tubercle ( Fig. 15 ). Prosternal ferna almost meeting medially, mesopraesternum eroded to two small sclerites. 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 softly pointed but acute on posterior segments; tergite IX setae S1 long and acute, S2 short and pointed. Sternites III–V with faint areas of reticulation anterolaterally, VIII with broadly oval pore plate.

Measurements (holotype male in microns). Body length 1470. Head, length 185; width 145; po setae 65; longest cheek seta 15. Pronotum, length 140; width 210; major setae—am 5, aa 60, ml 50, epim 55, pa 50. Tergite IX setae S1 115, S2 25. Sternite VIII pore plate dimensions 45 x 15. Tube length 90. Antennal segments III–VIII length 45, 48, 50, 48, 45, 25.

Female aptera: similar in structure and colour to male ( Fig. 11 ); fore tarsal tooth shorter, less than half tarsal width; fore tibia with no tubercle; pronotal setae more obviously capitate than in male, pelta more broadly rounded.

Material studied. Holotype male aptera, Australian Capital Territory, Black Mt. , from dead branch, 2.v.2006 (KM 37).

Paratypes: 4 females taken with holotype; same locality, 1 female from Melaleuca , 13.iv.2003.

Comments. Presumably related to capitalis , this species is remarkable within Deplorothrips for the absence of a sense cone on the inner apex of antennal segment III in both sexes. The maxillary stylets are deeply retracted into the head into a position very similar to that found in howei , but the maxillary levers are longer and curve dorsally However, it is distinguished by the long pointed setae on tergite IX, the small oval pore plate on sternite VIII of the male, and the pale brown colour of the hind tibiae and antennal segment III. The holotype is presumably a major male, and smaller males of this species can be expected to have a less robust pronotum. Only one other specimen of Deplorothrips has been studied with setae S1 acute on tergite IX, but this female from southern Victoria has these setae much shorter than the tube.

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 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.