Aeolothrips kermanensis, Alavi & Kasatkin & Farashiani, 2024

Alavi, Jalil, Kasatkin, Denis & Farashiani, M. Ebrahim, 2024, Two new species of the genus Aeolothrips (Thysanoptera: Aeolothripidae) from Iran, Zootaxa 5489 (1), pp. 129-143 : 136-138

Aeolothrips kermanensis sp. n.

( Figs 1–8 )

Female macroptera. Body brown; Fore legs brown except on apex and tarsus yellow, mid and hind legs brown except tarsus brownish yellow, hind tarsus lighter in basal half ( Fig. 1 ). Antennal segment I–II brown, II lighter to yellow at distal half, III uniformly yellow except at extreme apex slightly shaded, IV light brown gradually darker toward apex in distal half, IV–IX brown, same color as I ( Fig. 2 ). Fore wings pale with two separate brown transverse bands ( Fig. 1 ). Vertex with 3–4 pairs of preocellar setae, 3 pairs of setae between ocellar triangle and eyes, and 1 pair of setae within ocellar triangle situated between posterior ocelli; postocular area with 6–7 pairs of setae in two transverse rows ( Fig. 3 ). Frontoclypeus with 13 pairs of small discal setae, with mid-lateral pair of distinct setae beside eyes ( Fig. 4 ). Antennal segment III with straight linear sensorium short, not surpassing extreme apex of segment, extending at most to basal fourth of segment; IV with sensorium curved at apex, surpassing extreme apex of segment, extending at most to basal half of the segments, the sensoria with straight edges ( Fig. 2 ).

Pronotum with about 50 minute discal setae, with 6–7 pairs of posteromarginal setae ( Fig. 3 ). Mesonotum with 1 pair of median setae ( Fig. 5 ). Metascutum equiangular reticulation medially, without internal markings ( Fig. 5 ). Fore wing first cross vein lies in the middle to third of first transverse band; second cross vein at beginning of second transverse band. Abdominal tergite I without median paired campaniform sensilla. Sternite I not eroded, with one pair of microsetae; II with 3 pairs of submarginal setae; III–VII with 4 pairs of setae on posterior margins of which 2–3 lateral pairs far from margins; II–VII without discal setae; VII with 2 pairs of accessory setae medially arranged vertically, outer pair arising slightly ahead of inner pair; setae S1 on sternite VII closer to S2 than to each other ( Fig. 6 ). Abdominal hemisternites VIII without discal setae. Spermatheca boat-shaped with 7–8 spiniform chitinous processes dorsally on the either sides ( Fig. 7 ).

Measurements (holotype female, in microns). Body distended length 2175, Head length (width across cheeks) 180 (220), interocellar setae length 13. Antennal segments I–IX length (width): 40 (39), 63 (30), 120 (25), 100 (25), 65 (25), 25 (23), 25 (20), 15 (13), 14 (7). Mesonotal median setae length (interval) 25 (53), strong lateral setae length 43. Metascutum anterior marginal setae length (interval) 38 (50), posterior setae length (interval) 20 (25). Fore wing length 1050, width across first cross vein 140, across second cross vein 160; first and second transverse bands length along the anterior margin 280 and 300, respectively; intervening white area length 130; Fore to hind tibiae length 245, 245 and 350, respectively. Tergite IX median length 133, setae S1 length 163, S2 length 182. Ovipositor length 450.

Male. Unknown

Material studied. Holotype female: IRAN, Kerman provinces, Kerman, Agricultural and Natural Resources, Research and Education Center, on flowering Lepidium draba [ Brassicaceae ], 26.iii.2022, M.E. Farashiani. Paratype: 1 female, same data as holotype.

Comments. The new species runs to A. bournieri Lacasa, 1983 in the key by zur Strassen (2003). These two species are very similar in colour pattern of fore wings, general colour of the body, colour of antennal segment III, position of paired setae of interocellar setae, and absence of median paired campaniform sensilla on abdominal tergite I. But A. kermanensis sp. n. differs from A. bournieri in several characters as follow: antennal segment V distinctly shorter than last four segments together (vs. longer) ( Figs 2, 9 ), antennal segment IV light at basal half (vs. entirely brown), distal part of fore tibiae yellow (vs. brown), metascutum is not broaden, equiangular reticulation is exclusive to the middle (vs. broad with extended equiangular reticulation), distance between median pores of metascutum is equal to distance between each of them to lateral edges (vs. widely spaced, about four times) ( Figs 5, 11 ), the sub basal setae of ring vein of fore wings small and pale as like as the four next setae (vs. stouter and darker) ( Figs 8, 12 ), distance between setae S1–S1 on abdominal sternite VII is more than distance between setae S1–S2 (vs. equal), the inner pair of accessory setae on sternite VII arising somewhat behind of the outer pair (vs. in front) ( Figs 6, 14 ). Spermatheca boat shaped with 7–8 pairs of spiniform chitinous processes (vs. bell pepper shape, without spiniform chitinous processes) ( Figs 7, 13 )

Etymology. This species name refers to the place of the collection. Kerman is a city in the southeast of Iran.

Figures

FIGURES 1–14. Aeolothrips kermanensis sp. n. (Female, 1–8) & Aeolothrips bournieri (Female, 9–14): (1) general habitus, (2) antenna, (3) head & pronotum, (4) ventral surface of head (arrows indicate mid-lateral pair of distinct setae on frontoclypeus), (5) mesonotum and metascutum, (6) abdominal sternite VII, (7) spermatheca, (8) base of fore wing. (9) antenna, (10) head, (11) mesonotum and metascutum, (12) base of fore wing, (13) spermatheca, (14) abdominal sternite VII. Fig. 14 from Lacasa (1983).