Thaithrips unicolor, 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 : 58-59

Thaithrips unicolor sp. nov.

( Figs 222–230 )

Female (macroptera). Distended body length: 1.8–1.9mm. Body uniformly brown ( Fig. 222 ), tube somewhat darker. Femora brown, tibiae brown with anterior half yellowish, tarsi yellow. Antennal segments I– II and VI – VIII brown, almost concolorous with head, segment III pale brown with outer portion slightly yellowish, with yellow basal neck, segment IV and V pale brown with basal one-third very slightly yellowish. Fore wings very slightly brownish medially. Prominent setae pale. Head elongate ( Fig. 223 ), about 1.7 times as long as width across cheeks; dorsal surface almost smooth. Cheeks weakly rounded, with no remarkable setae. Postocular setae much shorter than eyes, weakly expanded. Eyes about 0.4 times as long as head, colored large ommatidia on ventro-lateral surface almost as large as posterior ocelli. Posterior ocelli 13–15µm in diameter, 27µm apart from each other, 20–22µm apart from anterior one in holotype. Antennae ( Fig. 229 ) about 1.3 times as long as head; intermediate segments subequal in length; segment VIII scarcely constricted at base. Maxillary stylets scarcely reaching middle of head, about half of head width apart, maxillary bridge 47µm width in holotype. Pronotum ( Fig. 223 ) 0.63 times as long as head and 1.12 times as wide as long in holotype; surface almost smooth, only with weak transverse reticulation near posterior margin; aa and pa short and weakly expanded; epim longer than pa. Mesonotum weakly sculptured, with two pairs of campaniform sensilla. Metanotum with weak reticulation ( Fig. 225 ); median pair of setae short and pointed, situated at anterior one-third. Fore tarsal tooth directed latero-posteriorly. Fore wings very weakly narrowed distally ( Fig. 228 ); three sub-basal setae of fore wings short, S1 and S2 expanded, S3 sharply pointed. Pelta bell-shaped ( Fig. 227 ), with weak reticulation, with a pair of campaniform sensilla. Abdominal sternites III – VII with transverse row of about 10 setae. Tergites II – VIII S2 setae: II reduced, III – VI and VIII expanded, VII long and sharply pointed. Tergite IX S1 and S2 setae shorter than tube, S1 short and expanded, S2 long and pointed; intermediate setae between S1 and S2 long, almost as long as S1, or a little shorter. Tube about 0.6 times as long as head, 2.4 times as long as width. Terminal setae about 1.3 times as long as tube .

Measurements ( holotype female in µm). Body length about 1800 (distended). Head length 220, from anterior margin of eyes 205, width 120; eyes length 80, width 42–43; postocular setae less than25. Antenna total length 285, segments I–VIII length (width) as follows: 33 (28), 40 (27), 37 (22), 37 (24), 37 (25), 38 (21), 37 (18), 30 (12). Pronotum length 138, width 155. Setae on prothorax: aa less than 15, pa about 20, epim 35–40. Fore wing length 670. Sub-basal wing setae: S3 25 –30. Tergite IX setae: S1 36 –38, S2 115. Tube length 120, maximum width 50; terminal setae 150–155.

Male. Unknown.

Type material. Holotype: macropterous female, Thailand, Bangkok, Bangkhen, Campus of Kasetsert University , NBCRC, on bamboo, 11.i.1988, SO . Paratypes: Thailand, 1 female collected with holotype ; 1 female, Phuket, Gu gu suri Road , on bamboo, 24.viii.1991, TN & SO .

Non-paratypic specimen. Indonesia, Java, Malang, Batu, Pujon , on bamboo, 22.VIII.2005, SO .

Comments. This species is described from Thailand and Java, Indonesia, and is known from four females all from bamboo. The holotype female was taken from bamboo together with numerous individuals of Podothrips bicolor and Okajimathrips kentingensis . The non-paratypic female from Java is very similar to the type series, but has several small differences as follows: intermediate antennal segment slightly darker; postocular setae longer; prosternal basantra rather small; tergite IX S1 setae longer.

Figures

FIGURES 222–230. Thaithrips unicolor gen. et sp. nov., female. (222) whole body; (223) head and prothorax; (224) compound eyes, ventral surface; (225) metanotum; (226) prosternum and mesopresternum; (227) pelta; (228) fore wing; (229) antennal segments III–VIII; (230) fore tarsus.