Phaulothrips oakeyi, Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2013

Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2013, Australian spore-feeding thrips of the genus Phaulothrips (Thysanoptera, Idolothripinae), Zootaxa 3608 (4), pp. 239-252 : 250

Phaulothrips oakeyi sp.n.

( Figs 13 , 25 , 32, 33, 35 )

Macropterous female. Body legs and antennae dark brown to black ( Fig. 25 ), tarsi and antennal segment III lighter; major setae colourless to weakly shaded; fore wing shaded on median half.

Head long with cheeks almost straight, posterior margin slightly pointed medially; dorsal surface strongly reticulate except medially; eyes longer dorsally than ventrally; one pair of pale pre-ocellar setae extending to midpoint of antennal segment II; anterior margin of head without tubercles; postocular setae short, scarcely reaching posterior margin of eyes; paired mid-dorsal setae equally long, arising mid-way between posterior margin of eyes and posterior margin of head; maxillary stylets close together medially, retracted to eyes. Antennae 8-segmented, VIII constricted at base; V–VII with apex slightly prolonged, VII with short longitudinal row of sensoria ventrally; I–III with dorsoapical setae weakly capitate; III and IV each with two short sensoria.

Pronotum reticulate ( Fig. 35 ), transverse, anterior margin concave; major setae pale, blunt or weakly capitate. Metanotum reticulate, with one pair of small, pale median setae. Fore tarsal tooth small, recurved. Prosternal basantra small, oval, lateral to mouth cone; ferna large, median margins rounded not parallel ( Fig. 32 ); mesopraesternum transverse; metathoracic sternopleural sutures long. Fore wing broad, with about 30 duplicated cilia; three long, pale sub-basal setae with blunt apices arise in a straight line, S1 longest.

Pelta reticulate, lateral lobes slender ( Fig. 13 ); tergites with narrow transverse reticulation, II with numerous minute discal setae; II–VII with one pair of sigmoid wing-retaining setae; III–VII with two pairs of long pale setae laterally; setae on IX shorter than tube with apices blunt; tube parallel sided with apex constricted.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 5100. Head, length 700; median width 350; preocellar setae 120; postocular setae 80; postocular cheek setae 50. Pronotum, length 220; width 550; major setae—am 100, aa 40, ml 150, epim 190, pa 120. Metanotal median setae 70. Fore wing, length 1800. Pelta, length 150; width 550. Tergite IV lateral setae 180. Tergite IX setae S1 370, S2 370. Tube length 680. Antennal segments III–VIII length 310, 160, 140, 110, 70, 80.

Macropterous male. Small males similar in colour and structure to female; large males far more robust, pronotum and fore femora expanded, fore tarsal tooth longer than tarsal width, anterior half of metanotum with no reticulate sculpture, prosternal ferna massive with parallel median margins ( Fig. 33 ).

Measurements (paratype large male in microns). Body length 4900. Head, length 680. Pronotum, length 400; width 700. Fore wing, length 1700. Tube length 600.

Specimens examined. Holotype female, Australian Capital Territory, Weston, Oakey Hill, from Eucalyptus blakeleyi dead branches with abandoned scolytid tunnels, 6.iii.2011 (LAM 5445).

Paratypes: 2 females, 3 males taken with holotype; A.C.T., Black Mt., 9 females 2 males from dead Eucalyptus with scolytid tunnels, iv.2011, 1 female from dead Eucalyptus , 18.v.2009, 6 females and 1 male from dead wood, 26.ii.2011, 1 female from dead wood 19.ix.2011.

Comments. This species is unusual in having a pair of well-developed setae medially on the head. Females have the pronotal antero-marginal setae well-developed.

Figures

FIGURES 11 – 20. Australian species of Phaulothrips. (11) flindersi, pelta; (12) inquilinus, pelta; (13) oakeyi, pelta; (14) sibylla, pelta; (15) agrestis, head; (16) inquilinus, pre-ocellar tubercles; (17) kingae, pre-ocellar tubercles; (18) kranzae, preocellar tubercles; (19) whyallae, pre-ocellar tubercles; (20) vuilleti, pre-ocellar seta;

FIGURES 21 – 29. Australian species (females) of Phaulothrips. (21) daguilaris; (22) fuscus; (23) inquilinus; (24) kranzae; (25) oakeyi; (26) uptoni; (27) vuilleti; (28) vuilleti, tube; (29) daguilaris, tube.

FIGURES 30 – 35. Australian species of Phaulothrips. Prosternal basantra, ferna and mesopraesternum 30 – 33: (30) daguilaris, (31) flindersi, (32) oakeyi - female, (33) oakeyi - large male. Pronotum 34 – 35: (34) kranzae, (35) oakeyi.