Lissothrips tallagandai, Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2015

Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2015, Species of Lissothrips and Williamsiella from mosses and lichens in Australia and New Zealand (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae), Zootaxa 3946 (3), pp. 361-373 : 369

Lissothrips tallagandai sp.n.

( Figs 5 , 13 , 20 , 25 , 27)

Female aptera. Body and legs brown, tarsi and antennal segment III sometimes paler, III with pedicel yellow, major setae not dark. Head about as long as wide, weakly reticulate posterolaterally ( Fig. 13 ); compound eyes small, about 12 facets dorsally and narrowed ventrally to a single facet; po setae long and finely acute; maxillary stylets retracted to eyes, almost touching medially. Antennae 8-segmented, III smaller than IV ( Fig. 5 ), III with no sense cones, IV with 2 large sense cones, VIII slender and narrowed to basal pedicel. Pronotum transverse, with very faint sculpture, notopleural sutures incomplete; aa setae short, epim setae long and finely acute. Fore tarsus with no tooth. Mesonotum transversely reticulate, lateral setae long ( Fig. 20 ), rarely short; metanotum almost without sculpture, median setae small and fine. Prosternal ferna weakly indicated, basantra pointed medially, mesopresternum reduced to pair of weak lateral sclerites, anterior margin of mesoeusternum concave medially ( Fig. 25 ); metathoracic sternopleural sutures not developed. Abdomen with pelta small, flattened D-shape, campaniform sensilla present ( Fig. 20 ); tergites with median setae minute, each with 2 pairs of long pointed setae laterally; tergite IX setae longer than tube; anal setae shorter than tube. Sternites with 0 to 4 minute discal setae, median marginal setae longer than lateral pair.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 1500. Head, length 135; width 150; po setae 75. Pronotum, length 100; width 210; setae—am 38, aa 15, ml 50, epim 90, pa 70. Mesonotum lateral setae length 40. Tergite IX setae S1 135. Tube length 110. Antennal segments III–VIII length, 35, 38, 40, 45, 45, 40.

Male aptera. Slightly smaller than female but very similar in structure; tergite IX setae S2 short and stout; sternite VIII with small circular or oval pore plate ( Fig. 27 ).

Measurements (paratype male in microns). Body length 1300. Pronotum, length 90; width 180; setae—am 42, aa 15, ml 45, epim 75, pa 60. Sternite VIII pore plate width 13. Tergite IX setae S1 100; S2 30. Tube length 105.

Material studied. Holotype female aptera, Australia, New South Wales, Tallaganda Forest, from extensive moss growth on large rock, 9.vi.2003 (LAM 4336).

Paratypes: New South Wales, 14 females, 7 males taken with holotype; same locality, 3 males, 27.ii.2011; Australian Capital Territory, Australian National Botanic Gardens, 1 female from fern in gully, 17.iv.2003; Tidbinbilla, 2 females, 2 males from moss on rock, 18.iv.2014. Queensland, Cooloola NP, Freshwater Road, 1 female from barkspray in open forest, 16.vii.2013.

Comments. This species is very similar in structure to both gersoni and thomsonae , and one male treated here as a non-paratype of thomsonae was collected together with males of tallagandai near the type locality of the latter species. Moreover, one paratype female of tallagandai was collected at a site in Queensland close to the type locality of thomsonae . No other species of Lissothrips known from Australia or New Zealand has the lateral pair of setae on the mesonotum so elongate ( Fig. 20 ). However, similar long mesonotal setae have been seen in various species from other parts of the world, including the type species muscorum from North America, uniformis from Argentina and okajimai from Japan.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. Lissothrips species from Australia—antennae. (1) corticosus; (2) discus; (3) dentatus; (4) hypni; (5) tallagandai; (6) taverneri; (7) thomsonae.

FIGURES 8 – 15. Lissothrips species from Australia—head and pronotum. (8) corticosus; (9) discus; (10) hypni; (11) gersoni; (12) taverneri; (13) tallagandai; (14) discus; (15) thomsonae.

FIGURES 16 – 21. Lissothrips species from Australia—meso & metanotum and pelta. (16) corticosus; (17); dentatus; (18) discus; (19) hypni; (20) tallagandai; (21) taverneri.

FIGURES 22 – 28. Lissothrips species from Australia. (22) thomsonae meso & metanotum and pelta. (23) hypni male tergites VIII-X. Thoracic sternites 24 – 26: (24) corticosus, (25) tallagandai, (26) taverneri. Male sternite VIII 27 – 28: (27) tallagandai, (28) thomsonae.