Podothrips ardis, 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 : 2969-2970

Podothrips ardis sp. nov.

Female macroptera. Bicoloured, head ( Figure 61 ), thorax and abdominal segments VI–X brown, I–II yellow, III–IV yellow with a brown patch medially, V yellowish brown; antennal segments I and most of II brown, remaining segments yellow with VIII darker; tibiae and tarsi yellow, femora yellowish brown. Structure typical of group, but major setae acute except epimerals, coxals, tergite I laterals, and S2 on tergites III–V and VIII; antennal segment III relatively short with sensoria small; fore wing with two capitate and one acute sub-basal setae.

Measurements of holotype female (in M m). Body length 2250. Head, length 210; median width 160; postocular setae 50. Pronotum, length 205; width 305; major setae am 5, aa 35, ml 8, epim 45, pa 58. Fore wing length 700; sub-basal setae 20, 32, 25. Tergite IX setae S1 130, S2 140, S3 100. Tube length 120; basal width 62; anal setae 160? Antennal segments III–VIII length 44, 50, 48, 42, 46, 28.

Material examined

Holotype ♀ macroptera: Western Australia, Kununurra Gorge , from native grass, 23 February 2005 (LAM 4574).

Comments

Known only from a single female, this species is closely related to P. anomalus but is unusual in having most of the major setae acute.

Podothrips australis Ritchie

Podothrips australis Ritchie 1974, p 266 .

The brown body and yellow legs of this species (Figure 66) constitute a uniform pattern that has been found in samples taken at the base of grasses at many sites across the dry inland areas of Australia, between the Spencer Gulf in South Australia, Rockhampton in Queensland, and the Hamersley Range of Western Australia. It is one of only three species in which the setae on tergite IX are not acute, and is also one of only three species treated here that have the metathoracic sternopleural sutures developed .

Figures

Figures 59–65. (59) Haplothrips victoriensis, head and pronotum. (60) H. victoriensis, pelta. (61) Podothrips ardis, head and pronotum. (62) P. australis, head and pronotum. (63) P. australis, prosternites. (64) P. lucasseni, fore tibia. (65) P. barrowi, head and pronotum.