Thrips laurencei, Rachana, R. R. & Varatharajan, R., 2017

Rachana, R. R. & Varatharajan, R., 2017, A new species of the genus Thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) from the Western Ghats of India, Zootaxa 4221 (4), pp. 491-493 : 491-493

Thrips laurencei sp.n.

Female macroptera. Body brownish yellow ( Fig. 1 ), head pale brown infused with yellow, pronotum pale brown, pterothorax pale brown, often paler laterally; abdomen darker than head and thorax, with brown patches on tergites; legs pale brownish yellow. Antennae 7-segmented; segment I yellow, II brown, III yellow basally and brown apically, IV — VII uniformly brown ( Fig. 3 ). Ocellar setae III small, behind the first ocellus and within ocellar triangle; post ocular setae II smaller than I and III ( Fig. 2 ). Pronotum wider than long with faint transverse striations anteriorly and posteriorly, and more than 35 discal setae; posterior margin with 3 pairs of setae inner to major angulars ( Fig. 4 ). Mesonotum with transverse lines, anterior campaniform sensilla present. Metanotum with longitudinal lines; median setae arising behind anterior margin; campaniform sensilla present ( Fig. 6 ). Fore wing slightly dusky with base paler; first vein with 7 proximal and 3 distal setae; second vein with 15 — 17 setae; clavus with 5 + 1 setae; terminal and subterminal setae subequal ( Fig. 7 ). Abdominal tergites with sculpture lines extending to median setae and campaniform sensilla; tergite II with 4 lateral marginal setae; posteromarginal comb on VIII long, fine and complete ( Fig. 5 ); IX with two pairs of campaniform sensilla, X with incomplete median split. Pleurotergites II - V with 1–2 discal setae (Fig. 9). Sternites with no discal setae; II with 2 pairs of marginal setae.

Measurements in microns (holotype female). Body length 1730. Head, length 125; width across eyes 165; ocellar setae III 15. Pronotum, length 150; width 225; outer posteroangular setae 85. Fore wing length 975. Antennal segments III — VII length 75, 60, 45, 55, 15.

Male macroptera. Similar to female but smaller and uniformly yellow in colour. Posteriomarginal comb on tergite VIII absent. Abdominal sternites III — VII each with a transverse pore plate slightly contracted at middle ( Fig. 8 ).

Measurements in microns (paratype male). Body length 1275. Head, length 110; width across eyes 140; ocellar setae III 10. Pronotum, length 115; width 185; outer posteroangular setae 65. Fore wing length 835. Antennal segments III — VII length 55, 60, 40, 50, 10.

Material studied. Holotype female, INDIA, Tamil Nadu, Ooty (2240 m above mean sea level) from flowers of Hydrangea macrophylla , 18.ii.2016 (Rachana R.R.) ( ICAR / NBAIR / THYS /51) . Paratypes 4 females, 1 male with same data as holotype . Holotype and paratypes deposited in the Indian Agricultural Insect Museum and National Repository, National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources (ICAR-NBAIR), Bengaluru , India.

Etymology. This species is named in recognition of the contributions of Laurence Mound to Thysanoptera taxonomy and for his support and encouragement to young thrips taxonomists across the globe.

Comments. In the key to species by Palmer (1992) this new species runs to couplet 19 where it shares half the characters of the stem towards xenos. It can be distinguished from xenos by having four lateral setae on abdominal tergite II, the presence of metanotal campaniform sensilla, and the brownish yellow body colour. This new species is similar to brunneus and setosus. It can be differentiated from brunneus by having brownish yellow body colour and slightly dusky fore wing with paler base. Males of this species are uniformly yellow, whereas males of brunneus are brown with welldeveloped posteromarginal comb on VIII and small oval sternal pore plates. From setosus it differs in body colour, the position of interocellar setae and colour of antennal segments.

According to Bhatti (1980, 1999), this new species is similar to T. kodaikanalensis in that the females have a comb of long regular microtrichia on the posterior margin of the eighth abdominal tergite, the fore wing first vein bears 3 distal setae, abdominal tergite II has 4 lateral setae, and body colour. However, the new species differs from T. kodaikanalensis in having 1 — 2 discal setae on the pleurotergites, tergite X with an incomplete long median split and abdominal tergites III and IV have setae S3 longer than S2. Thrips typicus , described from Japan, can be differentiated from the new species by having uniformly brown abdomen, shorter and stouter antennal segments, three lateral setae on tergite II and ocellar setae pair III at the margin of the ocellar triangle.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Thrips laurencei sp. n .. (1) Female; (2) Head, dorsal; (3) Antennae; (4) Pronotum; (5) Female abdominal tergites VII – VIII; (6) Metanotum; (7) Fore wing; (8) Male abdominal sternites III – VIII; (9) Pleurotergite IV