Holothrips frerei, Mound & Tree, 2014

Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2014, Fungus-feeding phlaeothripine Thysanoptera in the genus Holothrips from Australia and New Caledonia, with a structurally similar new genus, Holoengythrips, Zootaxa 3860 (2), pp. 125-148 : 130

Holothrips frerei sp.n.

( Figs 6 , 10 , 26 )

Female microptera. Body and femora brown, tube paler almost yellow on distal third before apical grey band; tibiae and tarsi yellow; antennal segment I light brown, II yellow, III yellow on basal third then brown ( Fig. 26 ), IV–VIII brown but IV paler on basal third with pedicel brown; major setae pale. Head without sculpture except on posterior third ( Fig. 6 ); eyes small but distinctly prolonged ventrally, ocelli absent; cheeks slightly swollen behind eyes; postocellar setae well-developed and capitate; postocular setae long and capitate; maxillary stylets with small loop at level of prothorax. Antennal segments short, VII–VIII usually with no suture. Pronotum transverse, weakly sculptured at posterior, with 5 pairs of capitate major setae, notopleural sutures complete; fore tarsal tooth scarcely half as long as tarsal width. Prosternal ferna not meeting medially; mesopresternum transverse but eroded submedially; metathoracic sternopleural suture short. Mesonotal lateral setae capitate. Metanotum reticulate, median setae capitate ( Fig. 10 ), anterior third with one pair of minor setae. Fore wing lobe with 2 capitate major setae. Pelta reticulate, D-shaped ( Fig. 10 ); tergal wing-retaining setae small and straight, major setae capitate; tergite IX setae S1 weakly capitate, S2 long and finely acute; tube much shorter than head.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 2500. Head, length 300; width behind eyes 230; postocular setae 85. Pronotum, length 175; width 380; major setae: am 75, aa 75, ml 85, epim 75, pa 95. Fore wing lobe 90. Tergite IX setae: S1 150, iS 55, S2 160. Tube length 200. Antennal segments III–VI [VII–VIII] length 80, 80, 55, 53 [75].

Male microptera. Similar to female microptera except, fore tarsal tooth almost as long as tarsal width; sternites V–VII without any areas of reticulate sculpture, tergite IX setae S2 small and stout.

Measurements (paratype male in microns). Body length 2200. Tergite IX setae S1 110, iS 50, S2 50.

Material studied. Holotype female microptera, Queensland, Mt Bartle Frere , from bark spray of trees and logs, 18.xi.2009 (Monteith & Turco).

Paratypes: 3 male micropterae taken with holotype.

Non-paratypes: Queensland; Paluma , 1 female microptera, 15.ix.2010 ; Lenthall’s Dam [50km south of Maryborough], 1 female macroptera, 25.iv.2012 . New South Wales, Sassafras , 1 male microptera, 29.vii.2012 .

Comments. The micropterae of this species are unusual in that they lack any ocelli, no reticulate areas are visible on the sternites of the available males, and the upper surface of tergite IX and the tube bear minute dentate microtrichia. The three specimens excluded from the type series have antennal segment III similarly short, but the metanotal and postocellar setae are not capitate, although the male from Sassafras has dentate microtrichia on tergite IX and the upper surface of the tube .

Figures

FIGURES 1–9. Holothrips from Australia. Heads: (1) australis; (2) bunyai sp.n.; (3) eurytis sp.n.; (4) federicae sp.n.; (5) circulus sp.n.; (6) frerei sp.n. (7) lamingtoni sp.n.; (8) notialis sp.n.; (9) lafoae sp.n.

FIGURES 10–16. Holothrips from Australia. Pterothorax and tergites I–II 10–12: (10) frerei sp.n.; (11) speciosissimus; (12) oceanicus. (13) lafoae sp.n., tergites I–II. Tergite IX and tube 14–16: (14) circulus sp.n.; (15) federicae sp.n.; (16) notialis sp.n.

FIGURES 25–33. Holothrips from Australia. Antenna 25–28: (25) bunyai sp.n.; (26) frerei sp.n.; (27) lafoae sp.n.; (28) lamingtoni sp.n. Mouth cone and thoracic sternites 29–30: (29) oceanicus; (30) speciosissimus. Male sternite VII 31–33: (31) australis; (32) lafoae sp.n.; (33) speciosissimus.