Azaleothrips vietnamensis, Okajima, Shûji & Masumoto, Masami, 2014

Okajima, Shûji & Masumoto, Masami, 2014, Species-richness in the Oriental fungus-feeding thrips of the genus Azaleothrips (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripidae), Zootaxa 3846 (3), pp. 301-347 : 345-346

Azaleothrips vietnamensis sp.n.

( Figs 157–161 )

Female macroptera. Body brown to dark brown, head more or less darker than thorax. Antennal segment III yellow, basal neck of segment IV somewhat paler at extreme base; segments I and II brown, segments IV to VIII dark brown. All femora brown, with apices yellowish; all tibiae yellowish, weakly shaded with brown. Fore wing weakly shaded with brown, paler in basal 1/4.

Head ( Fig. 157 ) almost as long as wide; dorsal surface entirely strongly sculptured with reticles, with wrinkles among reticles, tuberculate along reticles at posteromedian portion. Cheeks convex, distinctly narrowed at base. Compound eyes about 0.3 times as long as head. Postocular setae about half the length of eyes. Antennal segments VII and VIII closely fused; segment IV a little shorter than segment III; segment III with two (1 + 1), segment IV with four (2 + 2) sensoria. Pronotum ( Fig. 158 ) distinctly sculptured with reticles, tuberculate along reticles at posteromedian portion; with 29 short setae in holotype. Basantra present, but very weak. Mesonotum ( Fig. 159 ) with small dentate microtrichia or tubercles along transverse lines of sculpture, almost smooth among lines. Metanotum ( Fig. 159 ) entirely with polygonal reticulations, with delicate wrinkles among reticles; anterior half with 9 short setae in holotype. Fore tarsus unarmed. Fore wing with 7/7 duplicated cilia in holotype. Pelta distinctly reticulate, almost smooth among reticles. Abdominal tergites entirely distinctly reticulate, but somewhat weak at middle ( Figs 160–161 ); tergites III to VII with dentate microtrichia along striae; interdistance of posterior pair of wing-retaining setae on tergite IV about 110 microns in holotype; tergite IX with 8 short setae at middle; S1 setae on tergite IX longer than half the length of tube; S2 setae on tergite IX expanded at apex. Tube about two-thirds the length of head. Anal setae much longer than tube.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Distended body length 1750. Head length 192, width across cheeks 188. Compound eye dorsal length 53. Pronotum length 138, width 236. Fore wing length 630. Tube length 123, width across base 59. Antenna length 335, segments III–VIII length (width) as follows: 50 (29), 47 (27), 45 (25), 43 (24), 35 (21), 25 (16). Postocular setae 25–27. S1 setae on tergite IX 65 –70, S2 setae on tergite IX 75 –78. Anal setae 166–170.

Male macroptera. Color and structure very similar to holotype female. Body somewhat paler; head about 1.1 times as long as wide; fore tarsus unarmed; fore wing with 6/7 duplicated cilia; pore plate on abdominal sternite VIII distinct, but narrow at middle; S2 setae on abdominal tergite IX expanded at apex.

Measurements (paratype male in microns). Distended body length 1470. Head length 167, width across cheeks 150. Compound eye dorsal length 52. Pronotum length 113, width 190. Fore wing length 530. Tube length?85, width across base 50. Antenna length about 300, segments III–VIII length (width) as follows: 47 (26), 42 (25), 42 (23), 40 (23), 31 (22), 20 (15). Postocular setae 25. S1 setae on tergite IX 33, S2 setae on tergite IX 52 –54. Anal setae 135–140.

Specimens examined. Holotype female macroptera: Vietnam, Ninh Thuan Prov., Lam Son District, Root 27 (Pass 1), 23.viii.2007 (SO).

Paratype: Vietnam, 1 male, collected with holotype.

Non-paratypic specimen. Thailand: Thailand, Saraburi, on dead leaves and branches, 10.ix.1991 (TN & SO).

Remarks. This new species belongs to the moundi group. The entirely reticulate head and metanotum of this species is shared with reticulatus , described above from West Malaysia. However, it can be distinguished from reticulatus by the shorter head proportion, convex cheeks and longer median pair of setae (S1) on the abdominal tergite IX. Moreover, the distance between right and left wing-retaining setae is much wider in this species. A nonparatipic male collected from Thailand listed above cannot be distinguished satisfactorily from this species.

Figures

FIGURES 153 – 161. Azaleothrips species. toshifumii sp. n. female 153 – 156: (153) head; (154) pronotum; (155) meso & metanotum; (156) tergite II. vietnamensis sp. n. female 157 – 161: (157) head; (158) pronotum; (159) meso & metanotum; (160) tergite II; (161) tergite V.