Mystrothrips brachystylis, Mound & Tree, 2018

Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2018, Asia-Australia distribution patterns among species of Mystrothrips (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae), with two new species, Zootaxa 4526 (3), pp. 347-357 : 349

Mystrothrips brachystylis sp.n.

( Figs 1–6 )

Female microptera. Body and legs pale brownish yellow, distal antennal segments slightly darker. Head without ocelli, strongly reticulate, relatively broad ( Fig. 1 ); compound eyes small and bulbous with about 12 facets; cheeks convex and sharply constricted behind eyes; postocular setae extending to eyes, apices capitate and fringed; middorsal setae small and acute; maxillary stylets wide apart, scarcely retracted anterior to postoccipital ridge; mouth cone short and rounded. Antennae 8-segmented with reticulate surfaces; segment III with 2 small slender sense cones, IV with 2 larger thickened sense cones and 1 small one more ventrally; III–VIII all narrowed at base to slender pedicel, VIII particularly slender ( Fig. 6 ). Pronotum reticulate on anterior half but sculpture tuberculate laterally and on posterior half; 5 pairs of major setae with apices capitate and fringed; notopleural sutures not quite complete. Mesonotum transverse, sculpture lines with small tubercles, lateral setal pair long with capitate, fringed apices. Metanotum reticulate, sculpture lines bearing small tubercles, median setae small and bluntly pointed. Fore tarsus with minute curved tooth at inner apex. Fore wing lobes not extending to posterior margin of metathorax, each with 3 large capitate, fringed setae. Prosternal basantra not sclerotized, ferna broad with median margins parallel and close together ( Fig. 2 ); mesopresternum not sclerotized, but with 4 small setae in transverse row. Pelta transversely oval, reticulate; tergites II–VIII transversely reticulate with sculpture lines bearing numerous dentate microtrichia, each with one pair of capitate major setae on posterior margin and one pair on posterior angles ( Fig. 5 ); sternites sculptured similarly to tergites, each with about 15 small discal setae in a transverse row; tergite IX setae S1 broadly capitate, S2 weakly capitate, S3 acute, intermediate setae acute and almost as long as S1 and S2; tube shorter than head, anal setae shorter than tube.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 1450. Head, length 160; maximum width 155; postocular setae 40; mid-dorsal setae 10. Pronotum, length 100; maximum width 210; major setae - am 35, aa 35, ml 30, epim 40, pa 40. Mesonotal lateral setae 30. Metanotal median setae 15. Fore wing length 85, setae 30. Tergite IX setae, S1 75, intermediate seta 60, S2 65. Tube length 110. Antennal segments III–VIII length 38, 40, 40, 35, 25, 40.

Male microptera. Very similar to female but a little smaller; chaetotaxy of tergite IX as in female; sternite VIII without pore plate.

Measurements (paratype male in microns). Body length 1330. Head length 150. Pronotum length 90. Tube length 90.

Specimens examined. Holotype female microptera, Australia, Queensland, Carnarvon Station, Piebald Spring Road , from Acacia harpophylla leaf litter, 13.x.2014 (Wright SG), in Queensland Museum, Brisbane.

Paratypes: one female, one male micropterae collected with holotype (female in ANIC) .

Comments. The prosternal ferna of brachystylis ( Fig. 2 ) are similar in shape to those of dammermanni ( Fig. 11 ), but this new species is remarkable for the very short maxillary stylets. In most characters it is closely similar to the other Australian species, nomadus . Both of them have the mesopresternum undeveloped, but in brachystylis the metanotal sculpture lines bear many small tubercles, and in nomadus tergite IX setae S2 are finely acute not capitate.

Figures

FIGURES 1–8. Mystrothrips species. M. brachystylis 1–6: (1) head; (2) prosternites; (3) pronotum; (4) meso & metanota; (5) tergites I–IV; (6) antenna. M. clavatoris 7–8: (7) head; (8) prosternites.

FIGURES 9–15. Mystrothrips dammermanni. (9) head; (10) head & pronotum; (11) prosternites; (12) macroptera metanotum & tergites I–III; (13) microptera metanotum & tergites I–III; (14) macroptera tergites III–VI; (15) antenna.