Apelaunothrips gombak, Mound, Laurence A., 2013

Mound, Laurence A., 2013, Species diversity in the Palaeotropical leaf-litter genus Apelaunothrips (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae), Zootaxa 3741 (1), pp. 181-193 : 190-191

Apelaunothrips gombak sp.n.

( Figs 4 , 12 , 20 )

Female macroptera. Body largely brown with red internal pigment, but median area of metathorax and anterior area of tergite I yellow, tergites IV–VIII mainly yellowish but with a small brown spot medially and brown lateral margins; fore femora brown, mid and hind femora brown with yellow apex, tibiae yellow; fore wing shaded distal to sub-basal setae, but pale medially then with dark line medially on distal third; antennal segments I–II as dark as head, III mainly yellow, IV–VI light brown with base yellow, VII–VIII light brown; major setae weakly shaded.

Head about 1.2 times as long as wide, cheeks with prominent pair of setae on basal third ( Fig. 4 ); vertex with no sculpture medially; stylets retracted anterior to postocular setae, close together medially on posterior third of head; postocellar setae shorter than length of an ocellus; postocular setae long and capitate. Antennal sensoria slender, 3 on III, 4 on IV; VIII constricted to basal neck ( Fig. 20 ).

Pronotum with almost no sculpture, chaetotaxy typical of genus. Mesonotum with lateral setae very small; metanotum reticulate, median setae pointed. Prosternal ferna large, anterior margin with a few small setae; mesopraesternum complete. Fore wing with 8 duplicated cilia; sub-basal setae all capitate.

Pelta broadly triangular, median area reticulate but not lateral areas, with paired campaniform sensilla ( Fig. 12 ); wing retaining setae with apices uncinate on tergites II–III ( Fig. 12 ); tergite IX setae apices weakly expanded, shorter than tube, intermediate setal pair long.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 2250. Head, length 250; width 185; postocular setae 70. Pronotum, length 130; width 260; major setae—am 30, aa 35, ml 70, epim 75, pa 60. Mesonotum lateral seta 15. Fore wing, length 950; sub-basal setae 50, 45, 70. Tergite IX, setae S1 105; iS 75; S2 95; S3 110. Tube length 150. Antennal segments III–VIII length, 80, 80, 80, 65, 55, 35.

Male macroptera. Very similar to female, but paler and more slender. No teeth on fore tarsus or fore femora; tergite IX setae S2 short and stout, shorter than intermediate setal pair.

Measurements (paratype male in microns). Body length 1750. Head, length 210; width 170; postocular setae 70. Pronotum, length 120; width 240. Tergite IX setae, S1 95; iS 75; S2 30. Tube length 125.

Specimens studied. Holotype female, Peninsular Malaysia, Gombak , near Kuala Lumpur, from dead leaves on tree together with larvae, 29.ix.1973 (LAM 1030), in the Natural History Museum, London.

Paratypes. 10 females, 5 males taken with holotype.

Comments. The form of the head with a pair of prominent cheek setae is similar to that of nigripennis, but that was described as having the body uniformly brown, and the mid and hind tibiae also brown. Moreover, bogor and limbatus also have a similar pair of cheek setae, but they have the body bicoloured.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 4. Apelaunothrips species, head & pronotum. (1) aokii; (2) bogor sp. n.; (3) consimilis; (4) gombak sp. n.

FIGURES 9 – 15. Apelaunothrips species. (9) aokii pelta & tergites II – III; (10) bogor sp. n. metanotum & pelta; (11) bogor sp. n. tergites II – III; (12) gombak sp. n. pelta & tergite II: (13) zonatus metanotum & pelta; (14) bogor sp. n. male head & fore legs; (15) zonatus male fore leg.

FIGURES 16 – 22. Apelaunothrips species, antennae. (16) bogor sp. n.; (17) consimilis; (18) desleyae sp. n.; (19) flavicornis; (20) gombak sp. n.; (21) madrasensis; (22) medioflavus.