Haplothrips gomphrenae, 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 : 2954-2956

Haplothrips gomphrenae sp. nov.

Female macroptera. Body colour brown with red internal pigment, fore tarsi and apices of fore tibiae paler, also antennal segment III (Figure 24); major setae pale, fore wings pale except at base. Head as wide as long, maxillary stylets slightly less than one-third of head width apart, retracted to compound eyes, maxillary bridge complete; postocular setae small but capitate, extending just beyond posterior margin of compound eyes. Antennal segment III with two sensoria, IV with four sensoria. Pronotum with four pairs of weakly capitate setae, ml setae no larger than discals, am setae scarcely twice as long as discals. Mesonotal lateral setae capitate. Metanotum reticulate medially, median setae arise on anterior half of sclerite. Mesopresternum eroded to two small lateral triangles. Fore tarsal tooth very small, arising at inner apex of tarsus. Fore wing with no duplicated cilia, sub-basal setae capitate. Pelta triangular; tergites II–IV with many lines of sculpture and several discal setae lateral to wing-retaining setae; posteromarginal setae S1 capitate on tergites II–VIII; tergite IX setae S1 and S2 bluntly rounded.

Measurements of holotype female (in M m). Body length 1850. Head, length 180; median width 180; postocular setae 28. Pronotum, length 120; width 275; major setae am 18, aa 18, ml 7, epim 40, pa 36. Fore wing length 750; sub-basal setae 34, 36, 38. Tergite IX setae S1 85, S2 85, S3 85. Tube length 110; basal width 60; anal setae 135. Antennal segments III–VIII length 44, 50, 48, 48, 44, 34.

Male macroptera. Similar to female; pronotal am setae no larger than discal setae; fore tarsal tooth well developed and occupying inner margin of tarsus ( Figure 46 ), large male with fore tarsal tooth large and fore femora swollen; tergite IX setae S2 short and stout; apex of pseudovirga with large terminal lobe.

Measurements of paratype female (in M m). Body length 1630. Head, length 180; median width 160; postocular setae 26. Pronotum, length 110; width 270; major setae am 16, aa 24, ml 5, epim 34, pa 26. Fore wing length 650; sub-basal setae 28, 28, 32. Tergite IX setae S1 100, S2 35, S3 105. Tube length 120; basal width 55; anal setae 110. Antennal segments III–VIII length 42, 52, 46, 44, 40, 34.

Material examined

Holotype ♀ macroptera: Western Australia, 100 km W of Fitzroy Crossing , from Gomphrena brachystylis flowers, 27 February 2005 (LAM 4631) . Paratypes: 2♀, 5 „ collected with holotype; Northern Territory, Elliot , 8♀, 8 „ with larvae from Ptilotus helipteroides , 24 July 1993; 100 km W of Katherine , 14♀, 9 „ from Ptilotus helipteroides , 20 July 1993.

Comments

This species and H. varius are both associated with the flowers of Amaranthaceae in the arid zone, but the setal lengths are strikingly different in the available samples, as indicated in the key. It is smaller than H. robustus , with the major setae much smaller and the male genitalia distinctive. The larvae are bright red.

Haplothrips gowdeyi (Franklin)

Anthothrips gowdeyi Franklin 1908, p 724 .

Although described from Barbados, this species is probably African in origin ( Mound and Marullo 1996) but is now widespread around the tropics and sub-tropics in various flowers. In Australia it is not commonly collected, and males have not been found here. It seems to be associated with areas of domestic gardens, having been collected around Sydney and Brisbane, as well as at Port Douglas, Kununurra, and Melville Island. It is fairly distinctive in appearance, with the fourth antennal rather large and yellow, and the setae on the ninth tergite longer than the tube and acute.

Recognition

Body colour brown to dark brown, fore tarsi and apices of fore tibiae yellow, antennal segments III–V yellow (Figure 25), VI yellow with apex shaded; major pronotal setae brown, fore wing pale. Head slightly longer than wide, maxillary stylets one-third of head width apart, retracted 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. Metanotum weakly reticulate medially, median setae arise on anterior half of sclerite. Mesopresternum broadly boat-shaped but slender medially. Fore tarsal tooth minute in female (larger in male). Fore wing with about seven duplicated cilia, sub-basal setae capitate. Tergite IX setae S1 and S2 finely acute, slightly longer than tube.

Measurements of female (in M m) (from Timor Leste, Dili, February 2005). Body length 2150. Head, length 190; median width 180; postocular setae 62. Pronotum, length 146; width 284; major setae am 40, aa 28, ml 38, epim 62, pa 70. Fore wing length 800; sub-basal setae 48, 52, 70. Tergite IX setae S1 125, S2 125, S3 120. Tube length 120; basal width 65; anal setae 145. Antennal segments III–VIII length 48, 54, 50, 44, 40, 30.

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.