Podothrips taiwanus, 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 : 46-48

Podothrips taiwanus sp. nov.

( Figs 170–177 )

Female (macroptera). Distended body length 2.2–2.4mm. Body bicolored ( Fig 170 ). Head, prothorax, metathoracic pleural areas and abdominal segments IX–X brown; mesonotum usually yellowish brown, rarely yellow; abdominal segment VIII brown with anterior fourth and median half yellowish; metathorax yellow with episternum shaded; abdominal segments I– VII yellow, tergites III – VI (or VII) each with an anteromedian brown marking, those on VI and VII paler. Fore femora brown, fore tibiae yellow with outer margin shaded, fore tarsi yellow; mid- and hind legs yellow. Antennal segment I brown, II brown with apex yellowish; III – VI yellow, but VI rarely shaded at distal third; VII – VIII usually brown, VII often yellowish at basal two-thirds. Fore wings pale, slightly shaded brown at middle; major body setae pale. Head 1.3 times as long as wide ( Fig. 171 ), 1.31 times in holotype, widest just behind compound eyes, without lateral tooth. Cheeks weakly serrate, rounded and weakly narrowed towards base, slightly constricted near base. Postocular setae short and pointed, about 150µm apart from each other in holotype. Posterior ocelli smaller than anterior ocellus, about 70µm apart from each other in holotype. Antennal segment III with (1+1) sense cones, segments IV and V each with (1+1 +1) sense cones; segment VIII not constricted at base. Ratio length/ width of antennal segments III – VIII ( Fig. 177 ) in holotype as followings: 1.9, 1.8, 2.1, 2.2, 2.4, 2.8. Maxillary stylet reaching postocular setae, their distance about 0.2 times as wide as width across cheeks. Pronotum ( Fig. 171 ) almost as long as wide, almost smooth and weakly sculptured along posterior margin, with a longitudinal line at middle; aa, ml and epim expanded, pa pointed, epim the longest. Prosternum and mesopresternum typical of the genus ( Fig. 174 ); basantra elongate, about twice as long as wide in holotype. Metanotum almost smooth medially, median pair of setae 58µm apart from each other, 83–85µm apart from anterior margin. Fore femora unarmed; fore tibial apical tooth distinct ( Fig. 173 ). Fore wings without duplicated cilia; sub-basal wing setae short, S1 and S2 subequal in length, expanded, S3 pointed, shorter than S2. Pelta hut-shaped ( Fig. 175 ). Abdominal tergite VIII S1 setae expanded; tergite IX S1 and S2 setae pointed, S1 0.7 times as long as tube, S2 almost as long as tube. Tube ( Fig. 176 ) somewhat narrowed at basal sixth, straight-sided, weakly tapered towards apex, 0.6 times as long as head, 2.2 times as long as basal width; terminal setae 1.4–1.5 times as long as tube .

Measurements ( holotype female in µm). Body length about 2390 (distended). Head length 243, from anterior margin of eyes 220, width across eyes 180, maximum width across cheeks 185; eyes length 75; diameter of posterior ocelli 13; postocular setae 37–39. Maxillary bridge width 38. Antenna total length 386, segments III–VIII length (width) as followings: 53 (28), 55 (30), 58 (28), 50 (23), 51 (21), 37 (13). Pronotum length 223, width 228. Setae on prothorax: aa 23–26, ml 14, pa 23–29, epim 38–43. Fore wing length 800. Sub-basal wing setae: S1 18, S2 18, S3 15. Pelta length 80, width 120. Tergite IX setae: S1 104–107, S2 147–155. Tube length 150, maximum width 68; terminal setae 205–218.

Male (macroptera). Distended body length 1.7–1.9mm. Very similar to female in color and structures, but smaller and paler. All legs yellow, pterothorax paler; abdominal segment VIII largely yellow with both sides shaded. Cheeks with weak serrations; maxillary stylets not reaching postocular setae, their distance a little wider than that of female, about 0.2 times as wide as head ( Fig. 172 ).

Measurements ( paratype male in µm). Body length about 1910 (distended). Head length 215, from anterior margin of eyes 198, width across eyes 153, maximum width across cheeks 165; eyes length 73; diameter of posterior ocelli 13; postocular setae 17–29. Maxillary bridge width 50. Antenna total length 343, segments III–VIII length (width) as followings: 48 (25), 53 (28), 53 (25), 45 (23), 48 (18), 33 (11). Pronotum length 185, width 195. Setae on prothorax: aa 17, ml 9–11, pa 22, epim 35. Fore wing length 710. Sub-basal wing setae: S1 15 –18, S2 15 –18, S3 13 –15. Pelta length 63, width 108. Tergite IX setae: S1 65–67, S2 45. Tube length 128, basal width 53; terminal setae 178–183.

Type material. Holotype: female, Taiwan, Kaohsiung-hsien , Liukuel, on bamboo, 5.ix.1993, TN & SO . Paratypes: Taiwan, 19 females and 11 males collected together with holotype ; 13 females and 9 males, Taitunghsien, Chihpen, 10.ix.1993, TN & SO.

Comments. This species is described from Southern Taiwan. It is similar to P. femoralis Dang et al. described from Yunnan, China in the body color and the antennal segment IV with (1+1 +1) sense cones. However, it may can be distinguished from femoralis by the following features (in parentheses are the features of femoralis ): metathorax largely yellow except for pleural areas (pterothorax largely brown); pronotal posteroangular setae pointed (expanded); pronotal midlateral setae very small, much shorter than anteroangular setae (developed, almost as long as anteroangular setae); terminal tube setae 1.4–1.5 times as long as tube (about 1.7 times as long as tube). Moreover, the tube of taiwanus is somewhat longer, 150µm long and about 0.6 times as long as head, while that of femoralis is 140µm long and about 0.5 times as long as head. P. bellatulus described from Thailand is also similar to this new species in the body color, but it can be distinguished from taiwanus by the followings: antennal segment IV with (1+1) sense-cones; basantra shorter, much shorter than twice as long as wide; metathorax brown.

Figures

FIGURES 170–177. Podothrips taiwanus sp. nov. (170) whole body, female; (171) head and prothorax, female; (172) head, male; (173) fore tibia and tarsus, female; (174) prosternum and mesopresternum, female; (175) pelta, female; (176) tube, female; (177) antenna, female.