Heliothrips similis, Nakahara, Steve, O’Donnell, Cheryle A. & Mound, Laurence A., 2015

Nakahara, Steve, O’Donnell, Cheryle A. & Mound, Laurence A., 2015, Heliothrips haemorrhoidalis and its relatives, with one new species and one new genus (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), Zootaxa 4021 (4), pp. 578-584 : 579-581

Heliothrips similis sp.n.

( Figs 2, 5 , 9 )

Female macroptera. With the characters in the generic definition above, and very similar to haemorrhoidalis in colour, with the body generally brown when mature and antennal segments III–V and base of VI yellow, and structure differing as follows: metascutal median reticulate area with anterior margin subequal to or longer than lateral margins ( Fig. 2 ), either without posterior flange or with weak flange not extending to anterior margin of metascutellum. Tergite I with median pair of minute setae arising on reticulate area ( Fig. 2 ); tergites III–VIII with no, or with weak, reticulations in front of antecostal ridge medially ( Fig. 9 ).

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 1455. Head, length 195; width across cheeks 210. Pronotum, length 125; width 235. Fore wing length 680. Length of abdominal tergites IX 145, X 60. Antennal segments I–VIII length 17, 40, 75, 50, 45, 37, 15, 70; III about 3.3 times as long as wide, simple sense cone 22–27; IV simple sense cone 25, associated seta 54–59.

Male macroptera. Similar to female but smaller, body length 1080–1150. Tergite IX discal setae stout, spinelike, S1 25 microns long; pore plate on sternite III 95 microns wide, on VII 65 microns.

Specimens studied. Holotype female, BRAZIL, Jacarepaguá, Rio de Janeiro, from Mango leaves, 16.v.1948, Thomaz Borgmeier (Hood No. 1540) (USNM).

Paratypes: 3 males with same data as holotype; same locality, 1 male from bamboo, 21.vi.1948; Rio de Janeiro, 4 females, 1 male from Eugenia leaves, 10.vi.1948; leaf gall on Eugenia , 1 female, no date but collected Costa Lima; Bahia, 4 females, 2 males collected G. Bondar, 1926, with no further data; Minas Gerais, Viçosa, 9 females on Miconia calvescens , vi.1902 (all USNM).

Comments. This species seems to be closely related to haemorrhoidalis and is known only from the area between Rio de Janeiro, Bahia and Minas Gerais.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. Heliothrips species, mesonotum, metanotum and tergite I, 1 – 3: (1) haemorrhoidalis; (2) similis sp. n.; (3) zucchi. Antennae, 4 – 7: (4) haemorrhoidalis; (5) similis sp. n.; (6) zucchi; (7) Neoheliothrips sylvanus comb. n. (arrows indicate paired minute pores on first abdominal tergite).

FIGURES 8 – 9. Heliothrips species, tergites III – IV: (8) haemorrhoidalis; (9) similis sp. n. (arrows indicate tergal antecostal ridge; note reticulation strong or weak in front of this line).