Teuchothrips mareeba, Mound & Dang & Tree, 2023

Mound, Laurence A., Dang, Lihong & Tree, Desley J., 2023, Structural diversity among the leaf-feeding thrips of Australia in the genus Teuchothrips (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae) with 20 new species, Zootaxa 5383 (4), pp. 441-475 : 465-467

Teuchothrips mareeba sp.n.

( Figs 76–80 )

Female macroptera. Body and legs brown, fore tibiae yellowish brown, all tarsi yellow; antennal segments I–II and VII–VIII brown, III uniform yellow, IV–VI brown, but yellow at base; major setae shaded; fore wings uniformly light brown. Head about as long as wide, vertex weakly reticulate, postocular setae capitate, shorter than eyes; maxillary stylets retracted to eyes, close together medially ( Fig. 76 ). Antennal segment III about twice as long as wide; segment IV with 3 stout sense cones; VIII short and almost confluent with VII. Pronotum with 5 pairs of capitate major setae, am and pa setae short. Fore femora slightly enlarged, fore tarsal tooth small. Fore wing broad, with about 15 duplicated cilia, sub basal setae capitate, S2 closer to S3 than to S1 ( Fig. 80 ). Mesonotum transversely reticulate, lateral setal pair well-developed, capitate at apex. Metanotum reticulate medially, major setal pair slender and acute ( Fig. 77 ). Mesopresternum with median lobe distinct from 2 lateral triangles and extending to spinasternum; metathoracic sternopleural sutures long ( Fig. 78 ). Pelta trapezoid with base weakly flared, reticulate; tergite IX setae S1 and S2 bluntly pointed, about half as long as tube; tube longer than head ( Fig. 79 ); anal setae much shorter than tube.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 2600. Head, length 210; maximum width 210. Pronotum, length 160; width 310; epimeral setae 65. Fore wing, length 1050; sub-basal setae S1 40, S2 45, S3 65. Tergite VIII posterolateral setae 70; tergite IX setae S1 120, S2 100; tube, length 235, basal width 85; anal setae, length 150. Antennal segments I–VIII length (width): 35 (35), 50 (30), 75 (35), 70 (40), 65 (30), 55 (30), 50 (25), 25 (15).

Male macroptera. Similar to female in colour; fore legs enlarged, fore tibiae with a small tubercle on inner apical margin, fore tarsal tooth about two-thirds of tarsal width; sternite VIII without pore plate; tergite IX S2 acute, about one-third as long as S1.

Measurements (paratype male in microns). Body length 2500. Head, length 215; width 210. Pronotum, length 190; width 320. Tergite IX setae S1 125, S2 35; tube, length 250, basal width 80; anal setae, length 145.

Specimens studied. Holotype female, Australia, Queensland, Hann Tableland [20km northwest of Mareeba], rainforest, from Pyrethrum fogging of trees and logs, 13.xii.1995 ( Montieth et al.), in ANIC.

Paratypes: taken with holotype, 4 females, 3 males in ANIC , 5 females, 3 males in QDPC .

Comments. Unfortunately, there is no host association for this species. It is similar to ater in having setae S1 on tergite IX almost pointed but these are scarcely half as long as the tube. They are also similar in the arrangement of the fore wing sub-basal setae, but the males lack a pore plate on sternite VIII, and the fore wings are more deeply and uniformly shaded than in ater .

Figures

FIGURES 76–87. Teuchothrips of Australia. T. mareeba 76–80: (76) head & pronotum; (77) metanotum & pelta; (78) prosternites; (79) tergites IX–X; (80) fore wing sub-basal setae. T. melaleucae 81–83: (81) metanotum & pelta; (82) antenna; (83) head & pronotum. T. minor 84–87: (84) head & pronotum; (85) metanotum & pelta; (86) antenna; (87) fore wing sub-basal setae.