Haplothrips gahniae, Mound & Minaei, 2007

Mound, Laurence A. & Minaei, Kambiz, 2007, Australian thrips of the Haplothrips lineage (Insecta: Thysanoptera), Journal of Natural History 41 (45 - 48), pp. 2919-2978 : 2953-2954

Haplothrips gahniae sp. nov.

Female macroptera. Body colour brown, tarsi yellowish brown, antennal segment III mainly light brown but with base yellow, remaining segments brown; major setae pale, fore wing shaded medially. Head as broad as long, maxillary stylets about one-third of head width apart, maxillary bridge complete; postocular setae acute, arising close to posterior margin of compound eyes. Antennal segments III and IV each with two sensoria; segment VIII broad at base, VII with pedicel relatively broad, VI with apex broadly truncate ( Figure 41 ). Pronotum with setae aa, am, and ml scarcely longer than discal setae, epim and pa setae bluntly pointed. Mesonotal lateral setae small and pointed. Metanotum very weakly reticulate medially, median setae arise on anterior half of sclerite. Mesopresternum transversely boat-shaped but extending forward medially toward spinasternum. Fore tarsal tooth small, acute and slightly hooked, arising at anterior margin of tarsus. Fore wing with about five duplicated cilia, sub-basal setae S1 and S2 blunt, S3 acute. Tergites II–III with no discal setae lateral to wing-retaining setae ( Figure 43 ); tergites II–V with posteromarginal setae S1 long and capitate, VI–VII with these setae acute; tergite IX setae long and finely acute.

Measurements of holotype female (in M m). Body length 1720. Head, length 153; median width 155; postocular setae 34. Pronotum, length 130; width 250; major setae am 5, aa 5, ml 5, epim 30, pa 28. Fore wing length 680; sub-basal setae 20, 24, 24. Tergite IX setae S1 100, S2 90, S3 100. Tube length 100; basal width 55; anal setae 150. Antennal segments III–VIII length 46, 42, 44, 40, 40, 24.

Male macroptera. Similar to female; tergite IX setae S2 short and stout; apex of pseudovirga broadly spoon-shaped.

Measurements of paratype female (in M m). Body length 1350. Head, length 150; median width 155; postocular setae 40. Pronotum, length 100; width 160; major setae am 3, aa 5, ml 5, epim 30, pa 20. Fore wing length 550; sub-basal setae 15, 18, 30. Tergite IX setae S1 75, S2 30, S3 85. Tube length 75. basal width 45; anal setae 135. Antennal segments III– VIII length 40, 35, 35, 33, 35, 25.

Material examined

Holotype ♀ macroptera: South Australia, Adelaide Hills, Wottons Scrub , from Gahnia sp. inflorescence, 10. i. 2006 (LAM 4796) . Paratypes: 7♀, 6 „ collected with holotype; Kangaroo Island , 4♀, 5 „ from Gahnia sp. inflorescence, 3. x. 2007 (LAM 5098) .

Comments

Taken only from the inflorescences, not the leaves, of Gahnia , this species was considered in the field to be the common H. anceps that occurs widely on Cyperaceae . Subsequent examination indicated that it is one of only two Haplothrips species with two sensoria on both the third and fourth antennal segments. It is an unusual species in that only two pairs of pronotal setae are larger than the discal setae, and the pedicel of antennal segment VII is relatively broad.

Figures

Figures 38–47. (38) Haplothrips driesseni, pelta. (39) H. fici, pelta. (40) H. fici, tergites IX and X. (41) H. gahniae, head and pronotum. (42) H. froggatti, meso and metanota. (43) H. gahniae, pelta. (44) H. dicksoniae, head and pronotum. (45) H. driesseni, head and pronotum. (46) H. gomphrenae, male, head and pronotum. (47) H. gomphrenae, pelta.