Ambaeolothrips pampeanus, Mound, Laurence, Cavalleri, Adriano, O’Donnell, Cheryle, Infante, Francisco, Ortiz, Antonio & Goldarazena, Arturo, 2016

Mound, Laurence, Cavalleri, Adriano, O’Donnell, Cheryle, Infante, Francisco, Ortiz, Antonio & Goldarazena, Arturo, 2016, Ambaeolothrips: a new genus of Neotropical Aeolothripidae (Thysanoptera), with observations on the type-species from mango trees in Mexico, Zootaxa 4132 (3), pp. 413-421 : 420

Ambaeolothrips pampeanus sp. n.

( Figs 7 , 18, 20 , 23 )

Female macroptera: Body extensively dark brown, abdominal segments I–VII slightly paler; antennal segments III–IX light brown. Fore wing with longitudinal dark bands along anterior and posterior margins toward wing apex ( Fig. 18 ), clavus uniformly brown.

Head about as long as wide; about 8 pairs of postocular setae in irregular double row; one pair of short setae between posterior ocelli; mouth-cone short and scarcely extending between fore coxae. Antennal segments III and IV each with a linear sensorium, on III straight and extending to basal half of segment, on IV curving around apex and extending to basal third of segment ( Fig. 7 ). Pronotum smooth, with no long setae; mesonotum closely striate; mesosternum entirely divided by furcal spinula; metanotum divided into two sclerites, anterior sclerite with arcuate and closely spaced striae, posterior sclerite smooth. Fore wing with two complete rows of small setae; clavus with a row of 7–8 setae and a single discal seta near base. Abdominal tergite I broad, covering the entire dorsal surface of segment; tergal median setae small and wide apart; tergite IX slightly longer than VIII; abdominal sternite III with 3 pairs of postero-marginal setae, IV–VII with 4 pairs.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 1600. Head length 182, width 205. Pronotum length 160; width 225. Fore wing length 935, median width 110. Antennal segments I–IX length: 27, 55, 110 (102 excluding pedicel), 103, 67, 10, 10, 8, 7.

Male: unknown

Material studied. Holotype female: Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul state, Porto Alegre, on grass leaves, 05.xii.2011 (Cavalleri A) [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, São Lourenço do Sul, Brazil: UFRGS 1432].

Paratype: Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul state, Catuípe, 1 female on Lonchocarpus campestris [ Fabaceae ], 27.xi.2008 (Santos FL) [ UFRGS 1433].

Comments. Known only from two females taken in southern Brazil, the fore wing colour pattern suggests that this species is particularly closely related to microstriatus from Panama, from which it can be distinguished using the key above. One referee in commenting on this manuscript indicated that the three available specimens could be interpreted as a single variable species. Although this is true, such intraspecific colour variation would be unusual in Aeolothripidae , as would the geographical distribution of an endemic thrips species almost the full length of South America.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 14. Aeolothripidae species. Terminal antennal segments 1 – 8: (1) Aeolothrips nitidus; (2) Ae. fasciatus; (3) Ae. bicolor; (4) Ae. nasturtii; (5) Desmothrips australis; (6) Ambaeolothrips microstriatus segments I – IX; (7) Am. pampeanus segments III – IX; (8) Am. romanruizi segments IV – IX. Meso and metanota 9 – 14: (9) Stomatothrips septenarius; (10) Aduncothrips? asiaticus; (11) Erythrothrips arizonae; (12) Lamprothrips miltoni; (13) Gelothrips cinctus; (14) Aeolothrips nitidus.

FIGURES 15 – 20. Ambaeolothrips. (15) microstriatus male. Fore wings 16 – 18: (16) microstriatus, (17) romanruizi, (18) pampeanus. (19) romanruizi male tergite IX. (20) pampeanus female.

FIGURES 21 – 24. Ambaeolothrips. Meso and metanotum 21 – 23: (21) romanruizi; (22) microstriatus; (23) pampeanus. (24) romanruizi female sternite VII (left side), marginal setae 1 – 4; paired accessory setae (acc. s.)