Neohydatothrips amygdali, Minaei, Kambiz, 2016

Minaei, Kambiz, 2016, The genus Neohydatothrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in Iran with one new species and first record of a micropterous form, Zootaxa 4189 (2), pp. 367-377 : 371

Neohydatothrips amygdali sp. n.

( Figs 14–19 )

Female macroptera. Strongly bicoloured ( Fig. 14 ); head brown but postoccipital region and pronotum yellow; meso and metanotum dark brown, meso and metasternum light brown; metathorax posterior half and abdominal segments I–VI uniformly yellow, VII–X brown; legs yellow, tarsi brown; fore wings banded, dark at base including clavus, with pale sub-basal area before brown band and second light brown band before pale apex ( Fig. 19 ). Antennal segments mainly yellow, with faint shadings at apex of IV–VI.

Head with occipital apodeme confluent with posterior margin of eyes ( Fig. 15 ); ocellar triangle without sculpture lines; ocellar setae III not close together, on external margins of ocellar triangle; three pairs of postocular setae arranged in longitudinal row close to eye, median pair longest. Pronotum transversely reticulate without internal markings, blotch weakly defined ( Fig. 15 ). Mesonotum with closely spaced striations. Metanotum with weakly linear reticulation, posterior half sharply paler ( Fig. 16 ). Metasternal anterior margin straight ( Fig. 18 ). Fore wing first vein with distal setae widely spaced, no setae on second vein ( Fig. 19 ). Tergites I–VI medially without marginal microtrichia; VII–VIII with small-sized teeth ( Fig. 17 ); IX with 1 pair of mid-dorsal setae ( Fig. 17 ). Sternites apparently without marginal microtrichia, VII with marginal setae arising on discal area.

Measurements (holotype female in microns): Body length 1020. Head length (width)110 (174); ocellar setae III length 10. Pronotum length (width) 90 (184). Fore wing length 670. Antennal segments III–VIII length 45, 40, 38, 39, 7, 12.

Male not known.

Material studied. Holotype female, IRAN, Fars province, Shiraz , on Amygdalus scoparia , 14.v.2016 (KM 1464)(in The Natural History Museum, London).

Paratypes: from same locality, date and plant species as holotype, 11 females; also from same locality and plant , 1 female, 2.v.2016 (KM 1447), 2 females, 5. v. 2016 (KM 1453), 7 females, 22. v. 2016 (KM 1468), 4 females, 3. vi. 2016 (KM 1494).

Non type material: 30 km Shiraz Bushehr road, the same plant, 2 females, 24. vi. 2016 (KM 1513).

Comments. This new species has been collected consistently on green leaves and branches of wild almond, Amygdalus scoparia [ Rosaceae ], a plant that is endemic to Iran. However no males were found. The species is unique among Sericothripinae in having just one pair of mid-dorsal setae on tergite IX, although this condition is common in most Thripinae ( Lima & Mound, 2016b).The colour pattern of the new species is very similar to an Australian species, N. bellisi Mound and Tree (mostly whitish-yellow with dark markings on the head and pterothorax, two dark bands on the wings and brown terminal segments of abdomen). These two species show some other similarities in structure including occipital apodeme, no sculpture on ocellar triangle, blotch weakly defined and the transverse metasternal anterior margin. However, they are different in the position of ocellar setae III (close in bellisi , distant in amygdali ). The new species is readily distinguished from other Iranian species by the key above.

Figures

FIGURES 14 – 19. Neohydatothrips amygdali (14) Female; (15) Head and pronotum; (16) Meso and metanotum; (17) Abdominal tergites VII-X; (18) Metasternum; (19) Fore wing.