Hoplothrips bellingeni, Mound & Wang & Tree, 2020

Mound, Laurence A., Wang, Jun & Tree, Desley J., 2020, The genus Hoplothrips in Australia (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae), with eleven new species, Zootaxa 4718 (3), pp. 301-323 : 304-305

Hoplothrips bellingeni sp. n.

( Figs 1, 2 , 23 , 31 , 46 )

Female macroptera. Body, femora and antennae brown, tibiae and tarsi yellow; antennal segment III with base paler. Head with transverse polygonal sculpture near base, without distinct sculpture on anterior half; genae widest behind eyes, narrowing base; ocelli well developed; dorsal length of compound eyes greater than one third of head length; postocular setae capitate, almost as long as dorsal eye length; maxillary stylets retracted to postocular setae and about one third of head width apart medially ( Fig. 1 ). Antennal segment III with 3 sense cones, IV with 4 sense cones also 12–14 small sensory hairs (sensilla basiconica) ventrally ( Fig. 31 ); III–VIII each with pedicel. Pronotum with transverse sculpture near posterior margin; with 5 pairs of capitate major setae ( Fig. 1 ). Mesonotum with sculpture, lateral setal pair capitate; metanotum with weak polygonal sculpture on posterior half, and median setae acute ( Fig. 46 ). Prosternal basantra not sclerotised, ferna bluntly acute medially but not meeting; mesopresternum eroded to two triangles; mesoeusternal anterior margin complete ( Fig. 23 ). Fore tarsal tooth absent. Fore wings each with three capitate sub-basal setae and 6 duplicated cilia. Pelta reticulate, with small lateral lobes ( Fig. 46 ); tergites II–VII each with two pairs of sigmoid wing-retaining setae,median marginal setae capitate; tergite VIII median setae capitate; tergite IX setae shorter than tube, S1 blunt but S2 acute; anal setae as long as tube.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 1820. Head, length 183; width 168; postocular setae 38, distance between their bases 127; postocellar setae 6, distance between their bases 37. Pronotum, length 107; median width 203; major setae am 27, aa 27, ml 25, epim 43, pa 40. Mesonotum lateral setae 37. Metanotum median setae 28. Tergite IV median marginal setae 75, VIII median setae 40, IX setae S1 73, S2 77. Tube length 92. Anal setae 95. Antennal segments III–VIII length (width) 47 (30), 57 (33), 44 (25), 38 (22), 35 (20), 33 (14). Fore wing length 67, sub-basal setae S1 40, S2 48, S3 51.

Female microptera. Similar to macropterous female, but compound eyes smaller, ocelli not developed, wingretaining setae smaller.

Measurements (in microns). Body length 1860. Head, length 180; width 160; postocular setae 51.

Male macroptera. Similar to macropterous female but smaller; antennal segment IV with about 10 sensory hairs ventrally; fore tarsal tooth length less than half of tarsal width ( Fig. 2 ); tergite IX S2 setae shorter; sternite VIII without pore plates, sternites without specialised reticulate areas laterally.

Measurements (in microns). Body length 1500. Head, length 180; width 145; postocular setae 50, postocellar setae 6. Pronotum, length 98; median width 185; major setae am 31, aa 31, ml 26, epim 47, pa 40. Tergite VIII median setae 43, Tergite IX setae S1 73, S2 45. Tube length 98; anal setae 100. Antennal segments III–VIII length 45, 50, 40, 34, 28, 29.

Male microptera. Similar to macropterous male, but ocelli smaller and wing-retaining setae smaller; antennal segment IV with 8 sensory hairs ventrally.

Measurements (in microns). Body length 1480. Head, length 188; width 143; postocular setae 51.

Specimens studied. Holotype female macroptera. New South Wales, Bellingen, 40 km southwest of Coffs Harbour , from dead wood, 12.ii.2010 (A. Wells) in ANIC.

Paratypes: same data as holotype, 1 macropterous female, 1 micropterous female, 1 macropterous male, 1 micropterous male.

Comments. The holotype is mounted onto the same slide as a second female and a male; the holotype is the female with both antennae. This species is unusual within the genus Hoplothrips for the relatively wide separation within the head of the maxillary stylets, the unarmed fore tarsi of females, and the presence ventrally on antennal segment IV of numerous small sensory hairs in both sexes ( Fig. 31 ). In contrast to H. semicaecus , that also has such sensory hairs on antennal segment IV, the maxillary stylets of H. bellingeni are not close together medially in the head, and the males have no pore plate on the eighth sternite.

Figures

FIGURES 1–9. Hoplothrips species—head and pronotum. (1) bellingeni female; (2) bellingeni male; (3) corticis; (4) fungosus female aptera; (5) fungosus female macroptera; (6) fungosus male aptera; (7) giganteus; (8) lamingtoni; (9) lihongae.

FIGURES 21–30. Hoplothrips species. Head 21–22 (21) wrightae female; (22) wrightae male. Prosternum 23–30 (23) bellingeni; (24) fungosus; (25) lihongae; (26) lowdeni male; (27) tarsus; (28) wrightae; (29) reedi; (30) woodsi (B–basantra; F–ferna; M–mesoeusternum anterior margin).

FIGURES 31–45. Hoplothrips species antennae. (31) bellingeni; (32) corticis (III–V); (33) giganteus; (34) lihongae; (35) lowdeni; (36) nelsoni; (37) oakeyi; (38) wrightae; (39) orientalis (III–V); (40) poultoni; (41) reedi; (42) semicaecus female macroptera; (43) semicaecus female microptera; (44) semicaecus male microptera; (45) woodsi.

FIGURES 46–52. Hoplothrips species—metanotum & pelta. (46) bellingeni; (47) corticis; (48) giganteus; (49) lamingtoni; (50) melanurus; (51) oakeyi; (52) orientalis.