Carientothrips tasmanica, Eow, 2014

Eow, Li-Xin, 2014, Australian species of spore-feeding Thysanoptera in the genera Carientothrips and Nesothrips (Thysanoptera: Idolothripinae), Zootaxa 3821 (2), pp. 193-221 : 210

Carientothrips tasmanica sp.n.

( Figs 3, 9 , 18 , 32 )

Female microptera. Head, thorax, and abdomen uniformly brown, legs varying in colour brownish yellow to light brown with yellow markings, tarsi yellow; major setae pale brown; antennal segment I yellow, II brownish yellow, III–V yellow with apex shaded, VI brown with pedicel yellow, VII–VIII brown. Head weakly reticulate, about as long as wide, not projecting in front of eyes ( Fig. 3 ), cheeks convex; postocellar setae small and acute; postocular setae long and acute, mid-dorsal setae minute; compound eyes prolonged ventrally with 2 or 3 ommatidia displaced to posterior ( Fig. 9 ); maxillary stylets about 0.5 of head width apart, retracted to postocular setae; maxillary palp segment I about twice as long as wide, segment II slightly longer than I with no transverse lines ( Fig. 18 ). Antennal segment VIII not narrowed to base. Pronotum transverse, notopleural sutures complete; 4 pairs of major setae developed, am small and acute, aa, ml and epim blunt; basantra small; mesopresternum transverse, boat-shaped; metathoracic sternopleural sutures long and curved. Metanotum reticulate, median setae acute. Fore wing lobe short with two major setae. Fore femora not enlarged, fore tarsal tooth absent. Pelta extending across 90% of tergite II anterior margin, median lobe broad and rather angular, broadly connected with lateral wings ( Fig. 32 ), campaniform sensilla absent; tergites III–VII each with one pair of slightly curved wing-retaining setae, setae S1 minute medially on tergite, S2 long and acute; tergite IX setae S1 acute; tergite IX setae long and acute. Tube shorter than head. Sternites with median transverse row of about 12 minute discal setae, median posteromarginal setae small and arising in front of margin.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 2370. Head, length 275; width 260; postocellar setae 25; po setae 70. Pronotum, length 150; width 285; major setae am 20, aa 25, ml 25, epim 80, pa 60. Fore wing lobe 125. Tergite IX setae S1 135, S2 150. Tube length 185. Antennal segments III–VIII length 80, 85, 85, 70, 55, 35.

Male microptera. Slightly smaller than female, fore tarsus with small sharp tooth.

Specimens studied. Holotype female. Australia, Tasmania, 17 Mile Plain , from Eucalyptus obliqua dead leaves, 12.iii.2010 (Alice Wells 10/39).

Paratypes: 4 females, 5 males taken with holotype, 1 female same locality, 10.iii.2010; Hobart, Mt. Wellington , 8 females and 6 males from Eucalyptus dead branch, 27.xi.2012; Flinders Island , 1 male, 27.xi.2011; Binalong Bay , 1 male from dead Eucalyptus dead branch 10.xi.2012; Bicheno , 1 female from Eucalyptus dead leaves; Mt. Field , 1 female and 1 male from Eucalyptus dead leaves, 1.xii.2012; Geeveston , 2 females and 1 male from Eucalyptus dead leaves 27.xi.2012.

Non-paratypes: Tasmania, Buckland , 3 females, 27.xi.2010 .

Comments. This species is similar to mjobergi in having the posterior margin of the eyes prolonged ventrally. However, in contrast to that species, the prolongation comprises two or even three ommatidia instead of just a single one. In some specimens the yellow colour of the tibiae is more similar to that of flavitibia , but these specimens also have pale femora. In a few specimens, the hind legs are almost as brown as those of mjobergi , although the first antennal segment in that species is dark brown whereas it is yellow in tasmanica . Three females have been studied from Buckland in eastern Tasmania that have the ventral prolongation of the eyes with only a single ommatidium; the specific identity of these specimens remains in doubt.

Figures

FIGURES 1–9. Carientothrips species. Head: (1) mjobergi, (2) flavitibia, (3) tasmanica, (4) alienatus major male, (5) loisthus macropterae. Ventral eye surface: (6) alienatus, (7) miskoi, (8) flavitibia, (9) tasmanica.

FIGURES 16–20. Carientothrips species. Maxillary palps: (16) palumai, (17) alienatus, (18) tasmanica, (19) loisthus, (20) flavitibia.

FIGURES 31–36. Carientothrips species. Metathorax and pelta: (31) calami, (32) tasmanica, (33) mjobergi, (34) snowi. Pelta: (35) flavitibia. Thoracic sternites: (36) alienatus.