Apostlethrips apostus, Mound, Laurence A. & Minaei, Kambiz, 2006

Mound, Laurence A. & Minaei, Kambiz, 2006, New fungus­feeding thrips (Thysanoptera Phlaeothripinae) from tropical Australia, Zootaxa 1150, pp. 1-17 : 4-5

Apostlethrips apostus sp.n.

(Figs 1, 3, 5, 7)

Female macroptera. Body and legs largely yellow, light brown shadings present on external margin of legs, anterior margin of head and apex of tube; antennal segments VI – VIII light brown, IV–V brownish yellow; wings and major setae pale. Head with eyes slightly bulging, one pair of stout setae on anterior margins of ocellar triangle; postocular setae short (Fig. 1). Pronotum smooth with notopleural setae almost complete, posteroangular setae as long as notopleural setae. Mesonotum with some sculpture. Metanotum smooth medially with one pair of small stout setae; pelta small, occupying about half the width of tergite II; tergites II–VII with median setae small, posterior margins with one pair of stout setae and one pair of small setae, posteroangular setae straight (Fig. 7); tergite IX truncate with 3 pairs of stout setae; tube slender, dorsal pair of anal setae slightly capitate (Fig. 5).

Measurements. Holotype female in microns. Body length 1450. Head, length 175; maximum width 170; postocular setae 20; ocellar setae 20. Pronotum, length 125; median width 220; major setae am 10, aa 8, ml 8, epim 50, pa 40. Forewing length 660; basal setae 18, 33, 35. Tergite III, median discal setae 10; major marginal setae 25; posteroangular setae 20. Tergite IX setae S1 40; S2 65; S3 40. Tube length 150; dorsal anal setae 25. Antennal segments III–VIII length 37, 45, 45, 42, 35, 30.

Female aptera. Similar to macroptera but ocelli absent, meso and metanota with additional pairs of small setae.

Male aptera. Similar to female but smaller, body length 1270.

Material studied

Holotype female macroptera. Western Australia, Fitzroy Crossing, Geike Gorge, from soft Triodia sp., 27.ii.2005 (LAM 4625).

Paratypes: 35 females 2 males taken with holotype.

Non­paratypic specimens: 1 female aptera, 1 female macroptera, from sticky Triodia sp., Kununurra Gorge, 23.ii.2005 (LAM 4577); 2 female apterae, 4 male apterae, 30km south of Wyndham, 26.ii.2005 (LAM 4619); 1 female aptera, Broome, coastal sand dunes, from base of Triodia sp., 28.ii.2005 (LAM 4640).

FIGURES 1–8. Apostlethrips species. 1, 3, 5, 7, A. apostus . 2, 4, 6, 8, A. pygus . (1, 2) Head and pronotum; (3, 4) Antenna; (5, 6) Tergites VIII–X; (7) Tergites I–III; (8) Pterothorax and pelta. [ns = prothoracic notopleural suture]

Comments

Of the available females, three are apterae, one (the holotype) is fully winged, but all the rest are de­alate with the distal half of the wings broken away. When alive, this species was noted to carry around on the apex of the abdomen a large plug of black material, although this was washed away in the collecting fluid. The two specimens (LAM 4577) excluded from the type series have abdominal tergites eight and nine more extensively dark brown, also the apex of the tube, and the macroptera has the lateral margins of the pterothorax brown. The remaining seven specimens (LAM 4619, 4640) have the tube uniformly dark brown with tergite IX also dark, and apparently lack a fore tarsal tooth.