Teuchothrips agonis, Mound & Dang & Tree, 2023

Mound, Laurence A., Dang, Lihong & Tree, Desley J., 2023, Structural diversity among the leaf-feeding thrips of Australia in the genus Teuchothrips (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae) with 20 new species, Zootaxa 5383 (4), pp. 441-475 : 447

Teuchothrips agonis sp.n.

( Figs 1–4 )

Female macroptera. Body and legs brown, tarsi light brown to yellowish brown; antennal segments I–II and VII– VIII brown, III yellow shading to light brown distally, IV–VI brown with pale transverse band sub-basally; major setae pale; fore wings pale. Head clearly longer than wide, genae straight; vertex with weak reticulate sculpture; postocular setae capitate, extending beyond posterior margin of eyes; eyes slightly longer dorsally than ventrally; maxillary stylets close together medially, retracted to eyes; mouth cone bluntly pointed ( Fig. 1 ). Antennal segment III almost twice as long as apical width; IV with 3 short major sense cones, VIII small and distinct from VII ( Fig. 2 ). Pronotum transverse, with 5 pairs of capitate setae; surface weakly reticulate at anterior and posterior thirds. Fore tarsal tooth shorter than half of tarsal width, fore femora not enlarged. Fore wing with about 6 duplicated cilia; sub-basal setae long and capitate, arising in straight line. Mesonotum transversely reticulate, lateral setal pair capitate. Metanotum reticulate, major setal pair slender ( Fig. 3 ). Mesopresternum of paired lateral triangles, metathoracic sternopleural sutures long. Pelta slender, longer than basal width; tergites VII–VIII lateral setae long and capitate, tergite IX setae S1 and S2 long and capitate; tube lateral margins straight ( Fig. 4 ).

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 2520. Head, length 235; maximum width 180. Pronotum, length 165; width 290; epimeral setae 50. Fore wing, length 890; sub-basal setae S1 50, S2 50, S3 55. Tergite VIII posterolateral setae 85; tergite IX setae S1 140, S2 110; tube, length 190, basal width 90. Antennal segments I–VIII length (width): 40 (40), 50 (35), 65 (30), 75 (35), 75 (35), 65 (30), 60 (25), 30 (15).

Specimens studied. Holotype female, Western Australia, Fitzgerald River N.P., in Eremococcus gall on Agonis linearifolia, 5.x.2002 (Lyn Cook), in ANIC.

Paratypes: six females taken with holotype.

Comments. This species has a rather slender head and the pelta clearly more slender than most species. It is also one of the few species with antennal segments largely brown, and the tarsi brown to yellowish brown.

Figures

FIGURES 1–10. Teuchothrips of Australia. T. agonis 1–4: (1) head & pronotum; (2) antenna; (3) metanotum & pelta; (4) tergites IX–X. T. aliceae 5–8: (5) head & pronotum; (6) antenna; (7) metanotum & pelta; (8) tergites IX–X. T. ater 9–10: (9) tergites IX–X; (10) head & pronotum.