Lenkothrips mollinediae, Cavalleri & Mound, 2014

Cavalleri, Adriano & Mound, Laurence A., 2014, The neotropical flower-living genus Lenkothrips (Thysanoptera, Heterothripidae): three new species and an identification key, Zootaxa 3814 (4), pp. 581-590 : 587

Lenkothrips mollinediae sp. n.

( Figs 20–26 )

Female winged. Body dark brown ( Fig. 20 ); femora largely brown, fore tibiae shaded brown with pale apex; mid & hind tibiae and tarsi yellow; antennal segments brown, I & II darker; IV yellow at basal 2/3 ( Fig. 22 ); fore wing brown, distinctly paler sub-basally.

Head about 1.5 times wider than long, with no long setae, ocellar setae minute, pair III inside ocellar triangle, just in front of posterior ocelli ( Fig. 23 ), ocellar area weakly reticulate; three pairs of postocular setae arising near inner margin of eyes and three additional pairs close to outer margin. Antennal segment III clearly longer than segment IV, each with a continuous circumpolar sensorial area which extends laterally to about 2/3 of the segment. Pronotum with weak lines of sculpture; about 25 discal setae and six pairs of short posteromarginal setae ( Fig. 24 ). Mesonotum with transverse elongate reticles, metanotum with concentric lines of sculpture bearing many microtrichia. Fore wing with two complete rows of strong, brown setae; clavus with 8–9 setae and one discal setae.

Abdominal tergites I–VIII with independent fringe of microtrichia posteriorly, well developed laterally on I–V but with few teeth medially; lateral thirds covered with irregular lines of sculpture bearing sparse and fine microtrichia ( Fig. 25 ). Sternites with 5 pairs of posteromarginal setae arising well in front of posterior margin.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length about 1300 (–925). Head, length 100; width 155. Pronotum, length 130; width 165. Hind tibia length 202; width 32; hind tarsus length 58; width 18. Fore wing length 850. Antennal segments I–IX length (width), 22 (27), 35 (25), 70 (25), 47 (25), 27 (17), 35 (15), 17 (10), 15 (8), 15 (5), respectively.

Male. Smaller than female and lighter in colour ( Fig. 21 ), especially lateral thirds of abdominal segments IV–VIII; fore legs and pronotum slightly enlarged; sternites IV (rarely III) –VIII each one with a large oval pore plate which is usually not constricted medially and occupies about 0.4 of sternite width ( Fig. 26 ).

Measurements (paratype male in microns). Body length about 1050 (885–1065). Head, length 102; width 137. Pronotum, length 125; width 200.

Material examined.

Holotype female (UFRGS), Brazil: Rio Grande do Sul: Maquiné, x.2012, from Mollinedia triflora flowers ( Monimiaceae ), D. Silveira.

Paratypes (in UFRGS, ANIC & BMNH): 25 females, 4 males collected with holotype; Morrinhos, 2 females, 2 males, 28.xi.2012, from Mollinedia schottiana flowers; Porto Alegre, 7 females, 1.x.2013, from Mollinedia elegans flowers; Torres , 3 females, 2 males, 5.xi.2013, from Mollinedia triflora flowers; Três Cachoeiras , 6 females, 2 males, 7.x.2013, from Mollinedia sp. flowers; Ecuador, Napo Province, Misahualli , 22 females, 15 males (together with larvae) from Mollinedia sp. flowers, 8.x.1992, Regina Schönfelder .

Comments. This thrips is similar in structure to L. sensitivus but is distinguished by the yellow mid & hind tibiae and its close association with Mollinedia plants. The pronotum lacks reticulation and the lateral thirds of abdominal tergites III–VIII bear only a few microtrichia arranged on irregular lines of sculpture. The sensoria on antennal segment IV extend only to about the mid-point of the segment, and the hind tibiae are somewhat long when compared to other Lenkothrips species. Larvae are whitish in colour and were observed living together with adults inside the flowers of Mollinedia species , both in Brazil and Ecuador.

Figures

FIGURES 20–26. Lenkothrips mollinediae sp. n. (20) female; (21) male; (22) antenna; (23) head; (24) pronotum; (25) tergites IV–V; (26) male sternites IV–VII.