Haplothrips dicksoniae, 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 : 2950-2951

Haplothrips dicksoniae sp. nov.

Female macroptera. Body colour brown to light brown, all tarsi and apices of tibiae yellow, hind tibiae more extensively yellow except at base; antennal segment III yellow, IV–V light brown, remaining segments dark (Figure 21); major setae light brown, fore wing weakly shaded medially. Head slightly longer than wide ( Figure 44 ); maxillary stylets at least onethird of head width apart, retracted to postocular setae, maxillary bridge complete; postocular setae capitate, extending beyond posterior margin of compound eyes. Antennal segment III slender (Figure 21), with one sensorium, IV with two or three sensoria. Pronotal am setae no larger than discal setae, four pairs of major setae capitate. Mesonotal lateral setae capitate. Metanotal median setae arise on anterior half of sclerite. Mesopresternum transverse. Fore tarsal tooth small, directed forwards at inner apex of tarsus. Fore wing with three to four duplicated cilia, sub-basal setae capitate. Tergites II–III with almost no sculpture and only one or two discal setae lateral to wing-retaining setae (Figure 37); posteromarginal setae S1 long and capitate on tergites II–VII, but short and capitate on VIII; tergite IX S1 long and blunt, S2 acute; wing-retaining setae on tergite II small, III–VI with anterior pair smaller than posterior pair.

Measurements of holotype female (in M m). Body length 1540. Head, length 165; median width 135; postocular setae 26. Pronotum, length 100; width 230; major setae am 3, aa 10, ml 18, epim 32, pa 30. Fore wing length 470; sub-basal setae 26, 30, 40. Tergite IX setae S1 75, S2 80, S3 70. Tube length 115; basal width 50; anal setae 140. Antennal segments III–VIII length 40, 40, 40, 38, 38, 26.

Male microptera. Similar to female, but fore wing slightly shorter than width of pterothorax; fore tarsal tooth very small; tergite IX setae S1 weakly capitate, S2 short and stout; apex of pseudovirga broad.

Measurements of paratype male (in M m). Body length 1160. Head, length 155; median width 130; postocular setae 24. Pronotum, length 90; width 195; major setae am 3, aa 10, ml 24, epim 32, pa 30. Fore wing length 155; sub-basal setae 24, 28, 34. Tergite IX setae S1 70, S2 30, S3 115. Tube length 105; basal width 45; anal setae 135. Antennal segments III– VIII length 38, 38, 38, 38, 38, 28.

Material examined

Holotype ♀ macroptera: Australian Capital Territory, Tidbinbilla , from Dicksonia fronds with sori, 25 April 1999 (LAM 3685) . Paratypes: 3♀, 5 „ taken with holotype; same locality and plant species , 1♀, 3 „ with larvae and pupa, 16 January 1999; 3♀, 2 „, 31 July 1999 ; 7♀, 5 „ with larvae, 30 September 2001. New South Wales, 35 km SE of Queanbeyan, Tallaganda Forest , 15♀, 15 „ with larvae from Dicksonia fronds with sori, 24 June 2006 .

Comments

This relatively small species is unusual within the genus, both in biology and structure. It has been found, together with its bright red larvae and pupae, among the sori on mature fronds of the tree fern, Dicksonia antarctica . Moreover, it has been found only where the tree ferns were growing in particularly moist situations, almost within the splash zone of a stream. The species has not been taken from the similar-looking Cyathea tree ferns where these grow in the same area. The first abdominal tergite, the pelta, is unusual in shape, with the anterior margin usually transverse (Figure 37), and all of the available males are micropterous with a rather broad apex to the aedeagus. The shaded fore wings resemble those of the widespread species, H. bituberculatus , but the hind tibiae are brown at the base but yellow medially.

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.