Podothrips asiaticus, Okajima & Masumoto, 2025

Okajima, Shûji & Masumoto, Masami, 2025, Some Poaceae-inhabiting Phlaeothripinae (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripidae) in East Asia, with descriptions of six new genera and 18 new species, Zootaxa 5726 (1), pp. 1-68 : 35-37

Podothrips asiaticus sp. nov.

( Figs 125–133 )

Female (macroptera). Distended body length 2.0– 2.4mm. Body bicolored ( Fig. 125 ). Head, prothorax, pleural areas of pterothorax and abdominal segments VIII –X brown; both meso- and metanota and meso- and metasterna yellow or slightly shaded; abdominal segments I– VII yellow, tergites III – VII each with an anteromedian brown marking but paler on VII. Fore femora brown, fore tibiae yellow with outer margin slightly shaded, fore tarsi yellow; mid- and hind legs yellow. Antennal segment I brown, segment II brown with apex slightly yellow, segments III – VI yellow, but VI slightly shaded at distal third, segment VII yellow with distal third shaded, segment VIII brown. Fore wings pale, slightly shaded at middle; major body setae pale. Head 1.2 times as long as wide ( Fig. 127 ), 1.23 times in holotype, widest just behind compound eyes, without lateral tooth. Cheeks distinctly serrate, weakly rounded and weakly but somewhat distinctly narrowed towards base, slightly constricted near base. Postocular setae short and pointed, 153µm apart from each other in holotype. Posterior ocelli relatively small, about 70µm apart from each other. Antennal segment III with (1+1) sense cones, segments IV and V each with (1+1 +1) sense cones; antennal segment VIII not constricted at base. Ratio length/width of antennal segments III – VIII ( Fig. 133 ) in holotype as followings: 2.0, 1.9, 2.1, 2.2, 2.7, 2.7. Maxillary stylet reaching postocular setae, their distance about 0.1 times as wide as width across cheeks. Pronotum ( Fig. 127 ) almost as long as wide, almost smooth and weakly sculptured along posterior margin, with a longitudinal line at middle; aa, ml and epim expanded at apex, aa a little longer than ml, pa pointed, epim the longest. Prosternum ( Fig. 129 ) and mesopresternum typical of the genus. Metanotum almost smooth medially, median pair of setae small, about 60µm apart from each other, 95µm apart from anterior margin in holotype. Fore femora often slightly rugose at ventro-external portion, without inner tubercles or hump; fore tibial inner apical tooth distinct ( Fig. 130 ). Fore wings without duplicated cilia; three sub-basal setae short, S1 and S2 subequal in length and expanded at apex, S3 setae pointed and almost as long as or slightly shorter than S2. Pelta hut-shaped ( Fig. 131 ). Abdominal tergite VIII S1 setae expanded at apex; tergite IX S1 and S2 setae pointed, S1 about 0.6–0.7 times as long as tube, S2 almost as long as tube or a little longer. Tube ( Fig. 132 ) distinctly narrowed at basal sixth, tapered to apex, slightly constricted at apex, about 0.6 times as long as head, about 2.0 times as long as basal width; terminal setae about 1.4 times as long as tube .

Measurements ( holotype female in µm). Body length about 2420 (distended). Head length 238, from anterior margin of eyes 218, width across eyes 185, maximum width across cheeks 193; eyes length 78; diameter of posterior ocelli 10; postocular setae 27. Maxillary bridge width 48.Antenna total length 379, segments III–VIII length (width) as followings: 50 (25), 55 (29), 53 (25), 51 (23), 53 (20), 35 (13). Pronotum length 220, width 220. Setae on prothorax: aa 21–25, ml 15–16, pa 27, epim 40–43. Fore wing length 850. Sub-basal wing setae: S1 23, S2 20 –23, S3 13 –15. Pelta length 58, width 130. Tergite IX setae: S1 96–97, S2 150–151. Tube length 148, basal width 63; terminal setae 213–215.

Male (macroptera). Distended body length 1.7–1.8mm. Very similar to female in structure, but smaller and paler. Thorax yellow but slightly shaded with brown at pleural areas of pterothorax ( Fig. 126 ); all legs yellow; antennal segment I pale brown, II pale brown with apex pale. Head ( Fig. 128 ) usually with distinct serrations at cheeks, maxillary stylets not reaching postocular setae, and their distance wider than in female, about 0.3 times as wide as width across cheeks.

Measurements ( paratype male in µm). Body length about 1690 (distended). Head length 193, from anterior margin of eyes 175, width across eyes 158, maximum width across cheeks 163; eyes length 68; diameter of posterior ocelli 13; postocular setae 15–18. Maxillary bridge width 55. Antenna total length 330, segments III–VIII length (width) as followings: 50 (24), 50 (25), 48 (24), 45 (20), 48 (18), 28 (11). Pronotum length 165, width 180. Setae on prothorax: aa 21, ml 11–14, pa 17, epim 35. Fore wing length 650. Sub-basal wing setae: S1 10 –13, S2 13 –15, S3 13 –15. Pelta length 60, width 83. Tergite IX setae: S1 54, S2 40 –45. Tube length 103, basal width 50; terminal setae 170–173.

Type material. Holotype: female, Thailand, nr. Chiang Mai, Hong kai, on bamboo, 4.ix.1991, TN & SO . Paratypes: Thailand, 24 females and 9 males collected together with holotype ; 1 female, foot of Doi Inthanon , on grass, 4.ix.1991, TN & SO ; 1 female, Fang , on bamboo, 23.viii.1992, SO; nr. Chiang Mai: Doi Suthep, on bamboo , 9 females and 3 males, 1.ix.1991, TN &SO, 8 females and 6 males, 24.viii.1992, TN & SO, 1 male, 2.ix.1992, SO; 2 females, Pha Hean , on bamboo, 3.ix.1992, TN ; 1 female, Chiang Rai, on bamboo, 4.ix.1992, SO ; 1 female and 1 male, Doi Inthanon , on bamboo, 29.viii.1992, TN & SO ; 12 females and 4 males, Hang Dong , on bamboo, 25.viii.1992, SO ; 12 females and 2 males, Chiang Mai, on bamboo, 2.ix.1991, TN & SO ; 3 females and 1 male, Farm of Chiang Mai University , on bamboo, 26.viii.1992, TN ; 28 females and 11 males, Mae-sa , on bamboo, 3.ix.1991, TN & SO ; 26 females and 21 males, Chiang Dao , on bamboo, 23.viii.1992, TN & SO ; 25 females and 21 males, nr. Chiang Mai, Phrow , on bamboo, 22.viii.1992, TN & SO .

Non-paratypic specimens. Thailand, 1 male, Chiang Mai , Farm of Chiang Mai University, on bamboo, 26.viii.1992, TN. Vietnam, 18 females and 8 males, Lam Dong Province , Finom Ward, Don Duong, on bamboo, 25.xii.2001, SO; 1 female and 1 male, Thai Nguten Province , on bamboo, 22.viii.2000, SO; Son La Province : 4 females, Moc Chau, on bamboo, 5.iii.2000, SO; 1 female, Deo Pha Din, on bamboo, 13.viii.2000, SO.

Doubtful specimens. Thailand, 1 male, nr. Chiang Mai, Mae-sa , on bamboo, 3.ix.1991, TN & SO ; 1 female, foot of Doi Inthanon , on grass, 4.ix.1991, TN & SO

Comments. This species is described from Thailand based on a good number of females and males, and is very similar to P. taiwanus sp. nov. described below. It can be distinguished from taiwanus by the key above. Especially, males can clearly be distinguished from each other by the color of prothorax and the serration of the cheeks. The pronotum is yellow and the cheeks are usually with distinct serrations in asiaticus , whereas the pronotum is brown and the head with weak serration in taiwanus . In the male, this species cannot be distinguished satisfactorily from P. flavipes sp. nov. described below, but it can be distinguished by the difference in the shape of S1 setae on tergite IX as in the key couplet 16 above. P. bellatulus is also similar to this species in the female body color and the shape of tube, but it can be distinguished by the following: antennal segment IV with (1+1 +1) sense cones (with (1+1) sense cones in bellatulus ); pterothorax largely yellow except for pleural areas brown in female (thorax largely brown in both sexes in bellatulus ); cheeks distinctly serrated in male (weakly serrated in bellatulus ). The male is somewhat similar in color to P. semiflavus but has antennal segment IV with (1+1 +1) sense cones. The specimens from Vietnam listed under the non-paratypic specimens are probably conspecific, but have the prothoracic anteroangular and midlateral setae slightly longer and the male prothorax often slightly shaded. A female and a male from Thailand listed under the doubtful specimens are very similar to this species, but these have the tube much shorter (120µm in female, 88µm in male).

Figures

FIGURES 125–133. Podothrips asiaticus sp. nov. (125) whole body, female; (126) whole body, male; (127) head and prothorax, female; (128) head, male; (129) prosternum, female; (130) fore tibia and tarsus, female; (131) pelta, female; (132) tube, female; (133) antenna, female.