Lefroyothrips varatharajani Rachana & Manjunath

Mound, L. A. & Ng, Y. F., 2021, Studies on the genus Lefroyothrips, with new records from Malaysia, New Caledonia and a new species from Australia (Thysanoptera, Thripidae), Zootaxa 4927 (4), pp. 567-575 : 572-573

Lefroyothrips varatharajani Rachana & Manjunath

( Figs 6 , 16 , 24–26 )

Lefroyothrips varatharajani Rachana & Manjunath, 2020: 592

Based on 16 females and 8 males from Mimusops elengi taken 11.iii. 2020 in India, Bengaluru, this species is here recorded from Western Australia and New Caledonia. This distribution seems remarkable but is not greatly different from that indicated above for L. fasciatus . The specimens studied listed below agree fully with the recent detailed description of this species. It is probably closely related to L. lefroyi but has the metascutum only weakly reticulate (cf Figs 14, 16 ).

Female macroptera. Body and legs yellow, posterior tergites brownish-yellow; antennal segments IV–VI brown or with brown marking ( Fig. 6 ); fore wings pale with two short shaded areas, at veinal fork and subapically. With the character states of the generic diagnosis. Ocellar setae pair III slightly shorter than distance between posterior ocelli ( Fig. 24 ); postocular setae in single row with S2 sometimes slightly displaced posteriorly. Metascutum weakly reticulate ( Fig. 16 ), CPS on posterior third of sclerite and slightly variable in position. Fore wing first vein distally with 1 or 2 setae. Sternite VII setae S2 arise at posterior margin.

Male macroptera. Similar to female; tergite VIII with long comb, IX with 3 pairs of stout setae ( Fig. 25 ); sternites III–VII with transverse pore plate close to anterior margin ( Fig. 26 ).

Specimens studied. Western Australia, Kununnura, Frank Wise Institute, 2 females from grasses, 24.ii.2005 ( LAM) . New Caledonia, La Foa, 2 females, 4 males from Pouteria sapota fls, 9.iv.2012 ( LAM) (in ANIC) .

Figures

FIGURES 1–10. Lefroyothrips species. Antennal segments, 1–6: (1) fasciatus holotype; (2) fasciatus male; (3) lefroyi; (4) pictus paratype; (5) tribulationi; (6) varatharajani. 7–8 lefroyi: (7) female; (8) head & pronotum. L. tribulationi, 9–10: (9) head; (10) pronotum.

FIGURES 11–16. Lefroyothrips species—metascutum. (11) fasciatus holotype; (12) fasciatus paratype male; (13) fasciatus male; (14) lefroyi; (15) tribulationi; (16) varatharajani.

FIGURES 24–27. Lefroyothrips species. L. varatharajani 24–26: (24) head; (25) male tergites VIII–IX; (26) male sternites. (27) L. lefroyi male sternites.