Haplothrips haideeae, 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 : 2956-2957

Haplothrips haideeae sp. nov.

Female macroptera. Body colour light brown to brown; all tarsi yellow, also apical fifth of hind tibiae, apical third of mid-tibiae, and most of the fore tibiae; antennal segments III–VI yellow with varying shades of brown apically; major pronotal setae light brown, fore wing pale. Head almost as broad as long, maxillary stylets at least one-third of head width apart, retracted almost to postocular setae, maxillary bridge complete; postocular setae weakly capitate. Antennal segment III with two sensoria, IV with four sensoria. Pronotum with five pairs of capitate setae. Mesonotal lateral setae capitate. Metanotal median setae arise medially on sclerite, usually with two to four small discal setae on anterior half. Mesopresternum broadly boat-shaped. Fore tarsal tooth absent. Fore wing with about 10 duplicated cilia, sub-basal setae S1 and S2 capitate, S3 longer and bluntly pointed. Tergite II with no discal setae lateral to wing-retaining setae; posteromarginal setae S1 long and capitate on tergites II–VI, but blunt on VII–VIII; tergite IX S1 bluntly pointed, S2 finely acute.

Measurements of holotype female (in M m). Body length 1920. Head, length 172; median width 170; postocular setae 40. Pronotum, length 132; width 284; major setae am 34, aa 24, ml 24, epim 50, pa 44. Fore wing length 720; sub-basal setae 40, 38, 80. Tergite IX setae S1 80, S2 90, S3 114. Tube length 124; basal width 56; anal setae 162. Antennal segments III–VIII length 46, 52, 46, 44, 38, 24.

Male macroptera. Similar to female but smaller; fore tarsal tooth small, arising on basal half of tarsus; tergite IX setae S1 very weakly capitate, S2 short and stout; apex of pseudovirga narrowly spoon-shaped.

Measurements of paratype female (in M m). Body length 1480. Head, length 190; median width 150; postocular setae 34. Pronotum, length 114; width 224; major setae am 24, aa 24, ml 26, epim 40, pa 32. Fore wing length 584; sub-basal setae 28,?, 48. Tergite IX setae S1 74, S2 20, S3 98. Tube length 110; basal width 46; anal setae? Antennal segments III– VIII length 42, 54, 44, 44, 38, 22.

Material examined

Holotype ♀ macroptera: Queensland, Mossman 20 km S, from flowers of Mangifera , 10 August 2004 (LAM 4467) . Paratypes: 1♀, 2 „ collected with holotype; 4♀ same host and locality, 7 August 2004; Cape York, Laura, 1♀ from mango, August 1990; Stephens Is., 1♀, 1 „ on Syzygium , 1 November 1989 ; Cape Tribulation , 1♀ from mango flowers, 8 July 1995; Cairns , 1♀ from tree flowers, 16 January 1998; Tully , 1♀ from Musa , 23 June 1970; Kennedy , 1♀ from Musa , 29 April 1970; Townsville , 4♀, 3 „ from Melaleuca leucadendron , 31 August 1992; Flaxton , 1♀ from Wisteria , 27 August 2005. New South Wales, Taree 20 km S, Kiwarrak State Forest , 3♀, 3 „ from Austrosteenisia blacki , 14 April 2002. Northern Territory, Darwin, Holmes Jungle, 2♀, 1 „ from Livistona humilis flowers, 20 December 1996 ; Berrimah Farm , 1 „ predatory, on eggplant, 25 August 1994, 7♀, 6 „ on mango flowers, 28 August 1996 , 1♀ on mango flowers, 18 July 2003; Cotton Park , 2♀ on mango flowers, 22 August 1996; Berry Springs , 1♀ on Nephelium , 15 August 2002; Katherine , 1♀, 1 „ from mango flowers, August 1999, June 2004. Western Australia, Kununurra, 3♀, 2 „ in mango flowers, 5 August 2004 ; Broome , 1♀ from Glycine tomentella flowers, 4 March 2005.

Comments

The sharply yellow apex of the middle and hind tibiae appears to be diagnostic for this species, but the available specimens from the southern part of the range, in New South Wales, have slightly darker antennal segments and the fore wings slightly shaded medially, in contrast to the specimens from tropical Australia. Moreover, the additional setae on the anterior half of the metanotum have not been seen on any of the paratypes from Kununurra in Western Australia. It is possible that this is the species that was referred to as predatory on Thrips palmi on eggplant at Darwin by Young and Zhang (2001), as the only remaining voucher specimen from those observations is listed above as a male paratype. The name of this species recognises the work of Haidee Brown in identifying so many thrips species in the Darwin area .