Haplothrips howei, 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 : 2957-2958

Haplothrips howei sp. nov.

Female aptera. Body colour brown with extensive red pigment internally, fore tarsi and antennal segment III yellowish; major setae brown. Head longer than wide ( Figure 48 ), ocelli absent, maxillary stylets more than one-third of head width apart, maxillary bridge complete; postocular setae finely acute. Antennal segment III with two sensoria, IV with four sensoria; segment VII strongly pedicillate, VIII broad at base. Pronotum with setae aa, am, and ml scarcely longer than discal setae, epim and pa setae bluntly pointed. Mesonotal lateral setae minute. Metanotum transverse with no sculpture medially. Mesopresternum slender medially or eroded to small paired lateral triangles. Fore tarsal tooth long and acute. Fore wing lobe very small. Pelta D-shaped ( Figure 50 ); tergal wing-retaining setae small and straight; tergites II–IX with posteromarginal setae S1 long and finely acute.

Measurements of holotype female (in M m). Body length 1730. Head, length 110; median width 154; postocular setae 46. Pronotum, length 150; width 284; major setae am 5, aa 5, ml 5, epim 30, pa 24. Fore wing length 35. Tergite IX setae S1 100, S2 74, S3 70. Tube length 120; basal width 60; anal setae 108. Antennal segments III–VIII length 58, 58, 50, 46,40,30.

Male aptera. Similar to female, but large males with head more elongate ( Figure 49 ), fore femora and prothorax swollen, pronotal ml setae longer; tergite IX setae S2 short and stout; apex of pseudovirga slender.

Measurements of paratype female (in M m). Body length 1500. Head, length 196; median width 136; postocular setae 40. Pronotum, length 154; width 268; major setae am 5, aa 5, ml 5, epim 32, pa 22. Fore wing length 20. Tergite IX setae S1 110, S2 25, S3 100. Tube length 105; basal width 48; anal setae 100. Antennal segments III–VIII length 58, 60, 50, 42,40,26.

Material examined

Holotype ♀ aptera: Lord Howe Island , near Settlement Beach, beaten from Smilax australis on dead branch, 20 November 1996 (LAM 3046) . Paratypes: 5♀, 5 „ with larvae taken with holotype; Erskine Valley, 1♀, 2 „ beating Symplocus candelabrum, 22 November 1996 ; Soldiers Creek , 1 „ from dead branches, 24 November 1996; Goat House, 1 „ from dead branches, 25 December 2001 .

Comments

The biology of this species and its bright red larvae is not known, but all of the specimens were collected in association with dead twigs and branches, and they were probably predatory on mites rather than phytophagous. This is the first fully apterous species to be placed in the genus Haplothrips . Despite the absence of wings, it is not considered to be related to any Apterygothrips species , particularly because of the body size polymorphism in males.

Figures

Figures 48–58. (48) Haplothrips howei holotype. (49) H. howei, male. (50) H. howei, pelta. (51) H. leucanthemi, head and pronotum. (52) H. lyndi, head and pronotum. (53) H. ordi, head and pronotum. (54) H. ordi, pelta. (55) H. salicorniae, head and pronotum. (56) H. timori, head and pronotum. (57) H. salicorniae, pelta. (58) H. timori, pelta.