Baenothrips leukos, Mound & Wells, 2023

Mound, Laurence A. & Wells, Alice, 2023, Endemism among Lord Howe IslandThysanoptera, with new species of Baenothrips (Phlaeothripidae) and Scirtothrips (Thripidae), Zootaxa 5228 (1), pp. 81-91 : 85

Baenothrips leukos sp.n.

( Fig. 6 )

Female and male apterae. The fore legs of this species are fully white, with no trace of brown. Apart from this, both sexes of this species are apparently identical in structure, sculpture and chaetotaxy to goweri described above. The two species were found at similar sites on Mt Gower, but no specimens exhibiting intermediate colour patterns have been seen. As discussed further below, leukos is therefore interpreted here as representing a distinct species.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 1450. Head, length 175; maximum width 165; median setal pair 55; lateral setal pairs 30. Pronotum, length 105; width 200; posteroangular setae 20. Tergite IX, length 125; maximum width 100. Tube, length 220; anal setae mid-dorsal pair 140; lateral pairs 450. Antennal segments III–VIII length 35, 25, 25, 23, 23, 20.

Specimens studied. Holotype female aptera, Lord Howe Island , Mt Gower, from leaf litter, xii. 2000 in ANIC.

Paratypes, all from leaf litter on Lord Howe Island : 2 females taken with holotype; Erskine Valley , 4 females, 2.xii.2000 , 1 male from grass tussock, 21.xii.2007; Rocky Run , 1 male from base of grasses, 22.xii.2001 .

Comments. Found at similar sites on the slopes of Mt Gower, no structural differences could be found between the specimens listed and those of B. goweri , apart from the startling difference in colour of the fore legs.

Figures

FIGURES 1–13. Baenothrips species. Metanotum and tergites I–II 1–2: (1) moundi; (2) goweri. Head 3–7: (3) caenosus; (4) bulbosus; (5) goweri; (6) leukos; (7) moundi. Antenna 8–11: (8) caenosus; (9) bulbosus; (10) goweri; (11) moundi. Tergites IX–X: (12) bulbosus; (13) moundi.