Bangithrips, Mound & Ng, 2018

Mound, L. A. & Ng, Y. F., 2018, Autapomorphies in the generic classification of Plectrothripini (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae), with a new genus and a new record from Malaysia, Zootaxa 4402 (2), pp. 390-394 : 392

Bangithrips gen.n.

Diagnosis: Head longer than wide ( Fig. 5 ), not prolonged in front of eyes; posterior ocelli close to large compound eyes; vertex very weakly sculptured except near ocelli and along posterior margin; postocular setae long and finely pointed, placed laterally and well behind eyes; maxillary stylets probably deeply retracted and close together (dissociated in available two specimens), mandible small. Antennae 8-segmented ( Fig. 6 ); segment II sharply angled with distinctive hump on inner margin, campaniform sensillum in basal half; III–VIII with faint closely spaced transverse sculpture lines; III–V each with 2 short, fat sense cones, VI–VII each with one sense cone; VIII elongate and slender. Pronotal shield with no long setae ( Fig. 5 ), epimeral setae long, notopleural sutures incomplete; basantra absent ( Fig. 7 ); ferna widely separated; mesopraesternum reduced to two small sclerites, mesoeusternal margin entire. Mesonotum weakly reticulate, lateral setae long ( Fig. 8 ); metanotum longitudinally reticulate, median setal pair long and acute. Fore wing parallelsided, with about 14 duplicated cilia, with two relatively short sub-basal setae. Fore femur robust with long setae on inner margin ventrally, tarsal tooth large and robust ( Fig. 11 ); fore coxae large, each with a long seta. Mid and hind tibiae each with two very stout setae. Pelta broadly triangular ( Fig. 8 ); tergite II lateral margins eroded; III–VII with no wingretaining setae; tergite IX setae shorter than tube ( Fig. 10 ); tube little longer than wide ( Fig. 9 ), margins convex; anal setae shorter than tube. Sternites without reticulate areas, with transverse row of 6–8 setae; median marginal setae long.

Type species Bangithrips mei sp.n.

Comments. The basal position of the campaniform sensillum on the second antennal segment, the proximity of the posterior pair of ocelli to the compound eyes, and the lateral erosion of abdominal tergite II indicate that this new genus is a member of the Plectrothripini, despite the lack of any glandular reticulation on the sternites. It seems to share most character states with Chiridurothrips , but the only species in that genus has a tapering tube that is slightly longer than the head, with the major setae on tergite IX as long as the tube. In contrast, this new species has the tube less than 0.3 as long as the head, and the setae on tergite IX are amongst the shortest recorded in Phlaeothripidae .

Figures

FIGURES5–11. Bangithrips mei. (5)head &pronotum;(6)antenna; (7) pro-& mesosterna;(8) meso-& metanota,pelta &tergite II; (9)sternites VIII–X; (10) tergites VIII–X; (11)fore leg.