Cephalothrips corona, Alavi & Minaei, 2021

Alavi, Jalil & Minaei, Kambiz, 2021, Cephalothrips (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae) in Iran with two new species and key to species, Zootaxa 4942 (1), pp. 127-134 : 131-132

Cephalothrips corona sp. n.

Female aptera. Body bicoloured, legs yellow, mid and hind tibiae slightly grayish medially; all tarsi and apices of all tibiae light yellow ( Fig. 18 ); antennal segments I–II and VIII dark brown, III yellow, IV–VII yellow with cloudy brown in distal half ( Fig. 19 ); pterothorax and abdominal segments I–II yellow, tergite III yellowish anterolaterally. Head about 1.5 times longer than wide, eyes large and prolonged posteriorly on ventral surface to a point ( Fig. 20 ); maxillary stylets close together medially, retracted to po setae; po setae short, weakly expanded at apex; not reaching posterior margin of compound eyes; other setae on head short, pointed at apex; ocelli absent. Mouth cone short and rounded apically. Pronotum with three pairs of major setae, epim distinctly capitate, pa, aa and fore-coxal setae capitate ( Fig. 21 ). Metanotum without sculpture. Fore tarsal tooth sharp ( Fig. 22 ). Pelta with pair of campaniform sensilla ( Fig. 23 ); tergites with anterior wing retaining setae absent, posterior short, straight and pointed; posteromarginal seta S1 and S2 on tergites II–VII rather long and expanded apically ( Fig. 24 ); tergite VIII setae S1 capitate, far from posterior margin, S2 capitate and submarginal; tergite IX setae S1 and S2 capitate, shorter than basal width of tube. Sternites III–VII with 8–10, VIII with 6 discal setae in one row; sternites II–VII setae S1 long and finely pointed, arising far ahead of posterior margin. Lateral anal setae longer than dorsal anal setae.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 2240. Head, length 285; width 185; postocular setae 23. Pronotum, length 162; width 227; aa 19, ml 12, epim 35, pa 22. Pelta length 75, width 142. Tergite IX setae S1 55, S2 55. Tube length (basal width) 150 (75); dorsal anal setae 75; lateral anal setae 93. Antennal segments I–VIII length (width) 31 (35), 62 (30), 65 (25), 62 (30), 67 (29), 57 (25), 42 (22), 37 (14).

Male aptera. Color and structure similar to female. Tergite IX setae S1 long, capitate, longer than basal width of tube, setae S2 weakly pointed, shorter than basal width of tube ( Fig. 25 ). Sternite VIII with two circular pore plates laterally. Pseudovirga forked, Y shape ( Fig. 26 ).

Measurements (paratype male in microns). Body length 1900. Head, length 237; width 155; postocular setae 25. Pronotum, length 132; width 187; am 9, aa 16, ml 10, epim 29, pa 17. Pelta length 62, width 125. Tergite IX setae S1 65, S2 42. Tube length (basal width) 122 (60); dorsal and lateral anal setae 60. Antennal segments I–VIII length (width) 32 (27), 52 (27), 52 (22), 52 (22), 60 (25), 54 (25), 40 (20), 35 (12).

Material examined. Holotype, female, IRAN, Khorasan-e Shomali province, Shirvan, Bibahreh village , Euphorbia sp., 4.vii.2014, J. Alavi.

Paratypes: 2 males collected with holotype .

Comments

The new species resembles the European species C. coxalis in the form of major setae on the pronotum ( Figs 9 , 21 ) and abdomen ( Figs 10 , 24 ), but is distinguished easily by the eye structure mentioned in the key above as well as the bicoloured body. It also differs from C. coxalis by the length ratio of tube to anal setae (1.7 vs. 1.2).

C. corona sp. n. is distinguished from the more widespread species C. monilicornis by the above key but it also differs in having the fore-coxal setae weakly capitate (vs. blunt to pointed), the pronotal aa setae well-developed and expanded apically (vs. minute and blunt), the pronotal pa setae capitate (vs. blunt to pointed), and the epim setae strongly capitate (vs. weakly capitate).

C. corona sp. n. is easily distinguished from the Mongolian species C. brachychaitus by absence paired setae laterally on pelta. Moreover, antennae in the new species are bicoloured, mainly yellow except I–II dark brown, while they are mainly brown in C. brachychaitus ( Han et al. 1991) . The new species differs from the Central Asian species C. longicapitus in the bicoloured body (vs. uniformly dark brown), the entirely yellow antennal segment III (vs. brown with pale base), and the minute pronotal aa setae (vs. well developed) ( Borzykh, 1972). C. corona sp. n. is distinguished from the Moroccan species C. albostriatus by the bicoloured body and absence of two lateral light strips along the body.

Etymology. This article was prepared during the first author’s quarantine period due to his positive test for the Coronavirus diseases.

Figures

FIGURES 18–26. Cephalothrips corona sp. n.: (18) body; (19) antenna; (20) head (ventral surface); (21) pronotum; (22) fore tarsus; (23) pelta; (24) lateral of tergite VII; (25) tergite IX (male); (26) sternite VIII and aedeagus (male).

FIGURES 1–10. Cephalothrips species, females. C. monilicornis1–5: (1) body; (2) antennal segments III–VIII; (3) head (ventral surface); (4) lateral of pronotum; (5) lateral of tergite VII. C. coxalis 6–10: (6) body; (7) antennal segments III–VIII; (8) head (ventral surface); (9) lateral of pronotum; (10) lateral of tergite VII.