Baliothrips sunae, Zhang & Wang & Li & Mound, 2018

Zhang, Shimeng, Wang, Zhaohong, Li, Yajin & Mound, Laurence, 2018, One new species, two generic synonyms and eight new records of Thripidae from China (Thysanoptera), Zootaxa 4418 (4), pp. 370-378 : 371-372

Baliothrips sunae sp.n.

( Figs 5–10 )

Female macroptera: BOdy, femOra and antennal segments I–II unifOrmly brOwn; tarsi yellOw, alsO distal half Of tibiae; antennal segments III–IV mainly yellOw, V–VII light brOwn; fOre wings banded, basal third including clavus pale, then a shOrt dark band, a slightly lOnger pale band, with wing apex dark. Antennae 7-segmented; segment I withOut paired dOrsO-apical setae; III and IV each with sense cOne shOrt and fOrked, sense cOne Y-shaped On III; apex Of V and base Of VI brOadly transverse ( Fig. 10 ); III–VI with micrOtrichia On bOth surfaces. Head slightly lOnger than width acrOss cheeks with eyes large and swOllen ( Fig. 5 ); lOngitudinal rOw Of tuberculate sculpture anteriOr tO first Ocellus, Ocellar triangle weakly sculptured, pOsteriOr third Of head transversely striate/ reticulate; Ocellar setae pair I absent, pair II wide apart lOng but curved, pair III On margin Of triangle; five pairs Of lOng pOstOcular setae, pair I lOngest, nOt arranged in a straight rOw; maxillary palps 2-segmented. PrOnOtum transverse, with nO discal setae Or sculpture medially; fOur pairs Of pOsterOmarginal setae, S1 lOnger than S2, but S3 and S4 (pOsterOangulars) lOngest ( Fig. 8 ); One pair Of midlateral setae lOng and stOut; anteriOr margin with 4–5 pairs Of fine setae. MesOnOtum with nO sculpture Or campanifOrm sensilla On anteriOr third ( Fig. 6 ); median pair Of setae far frOm pOsteriOr margin; mesOfurca with weak spinula. MetanOtum with irregular lOngitudinal striae, median setae far frOm anteriOr margin; metafurca withOut spinula. PrOsternal basantra membranOus, withOut setae; ferna rObust and cOntinuOus medially; prOspinasternum transverse and slender. Tarsi 2-segmented; hind tibiae with setae On distal half lOnger than width Of tibia. FOre wing first vein with 4–5 widely spaced setae near base, 2 widely spaced setae near apex; secOnd vein with abOut 8 widely spaced setae; clavus with 4 veinal and One discal setae. Tergite I cOvered with transverse irregular reticulate sculpture, median setae minute; II–VIII with nO sculpture medially between setae S1, withOut craspeda ( Fig. 7 ); VI–VIII with paired ctenidia ending at discal setae S3; IV–V with weak ctenidia; pOsteriOr margin Of VIII with a few minute micrOtrichia On lateral thirds; IX with anteriOr campanifOrm sensilla absent ( Fig. 7 ); MD setae stOut and extending beyOnd tergal margin, marginal setae lOng and extending beyOnd bOdy apex; X with median split almOst cOmplete, majOr setae nearly twice length Of segments. Sternites II–VII with transverse reticulatiOn ( Fig. 9 ), II with twO pairs Of marginal setae, III–VII with three pairs; S1 On VII in frOnt Of pOsteriOr margin, but clOse tO Or On margin On II–VI.

Measurements (hOlOtype female in micrOns). BOdy length 1600. Head, length 125 (nOt hOrizOntal); width acrOss cheeks 140; width acrOss eyes 175. PrOnOtum, length 130; width 210; pOsterOmarginal S1–S4 setae 35, 25, 60, 50. MetanOtum median setae 25. FOre wing length 900. Tergite IX, length 80; MD setae 55; S1 setae 100. Tergite X length 90; S1 setae 140.

Male: NOt knOwn.

Comments: This new species is referred tO the genus Baliothrips with sOme hesitatiOn, but the alternative Of placing each Of the three species invOlved intO a separate genus de-emphasises their apparent relatiOnships. In a key tO genera related tO Thrips that are assOciated with grasses, Bhatti and MOund (1980) prOvided fOur character states by which they diagnOsed Baliothrips . TwO Of these are fOund in this new species, but twO are absent. Marginal setae S1 On sternites III–VI are submarginal in bOth dispar (Haliday) and kroli (Schille), and in bOth Of them sternite II bears three pairs Of marginal setae Of which pair S1 is submarginal. Neither Of these character states Occurs in this new species, althOugh all three species share a similar cOnditiOn Of the fOre wing clavus with fOur veinal setae, and chaetOtaxy Of the hind tibiae with twO Or three unusually lOng setae. MOreOver, sunae is particularly similar tO dispar, the type species Of Baliothrips , in the 2-segmented maxillary palps, the shape and chaetOtaxy Of the head, the metanOtal sculpture, and many Other details including the banded fOre wings. The new species differs frOm the previOus twO species in the genus in the unifOrmly pale cOlOur Of the wing base and clavus, the absence Of campanifOrm sensilla On the metanOtum and first abdOminal tergite, and the presence Of a weak mesOsternal spinula.

Material studied. HOlOtype female, CHINA, Zhejiang, ShuangXikOu, frOm grasses, 27.v.2017 (Niu MM), in NWAFU.

Paratypes, 4 females cOllected with hOlOtype, twO in NWAFU; One in ANIC; One in BMNH.

Figures

FIGURES 1–10. Thripidae from China. Anaphothrips incertus 1–2: (1) head; (2) male sternites V–VII. Dictyothrips betae 3– 4: (3) head; (4) tergites VII–X. Baliothrips sunae sp.n. 5–10: (5) head; (6) meso and metanota; (7) tergites VII–IX; (8) pronotum;(9) sternites V–VII; (10) antenna.