Heliothrips flamengo, Silva & O’Donnell & Lima, 2024

Silva, Larinne De Maria Rocha, O’Donnell, Cheryle A. & Lima, Élison Fabrício Bezerra, 2024, Species identity crisis among New World members of the genus Heliothrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae: Panchaetothripinae), Zootaxa 5489 (1), pp. 153-172 : 160-162

Heliothrips flamengo sp. n.

( Figs 40–46 )

Female macroptera. Body color mostly brown ( Fig. 40 ); legs completely pale yellow; antennal segment I light brown, II dark brown basally and light brown apically, III–V yellow, VI mostly brown, except for extreme base light brown, VII–VIII yellow ( Fig. 42 ); fore wing pale with extreme base and veins brown, clavus pale with base light brown. Head reticulated, genae almost parallel but slightly concave in the middle and constricted at base ( Fig. 43 ). Ocellar region not elevated, fore ocellus depressed in sculpture, setae minute. Antennae 8-segmented, segment III long and with constricted base, IV–V not constricted or slightly constricted at one side basally; III and IV each with simple sense cones, IV with slender dorsal sense cone reaching the middle of segment VI ( Fig. 42 ); segment VIII much longer than VII; microtrichia absent. Mouth cone rounded apically, not extending beyond fore coxae, maxillary palps 2-segmented. Pronotum transverse and reticulated, setae small; prospinasternum forked apically. Mesoscutum with 3–4 rows of quadrate reticulation anterior to median setae ( Fig. 44 ), posteromedian cleft short. Metascutum with median sculptured triangle with reticles longer than wide, posterior flange reaching anterior margin of metascutellum. Tarsi 1-segmented. Fore wing widened at base and rounded at apex with minute setae, costal vein fused to first longitudinal vein, first row of setae with 11–14 setae, second row with 5–7 setae; posterior fringe cilia straight. Abdominal tergites reticulated, except submedian area of I–VII smooth, III–VIII with reticulations in front of antecostal ridge developed; tergite I with a pair of median setae arising anterior to reticulate area, II–VIII median setae long gradually longer towards posterior tergites, distance between them about half the setal length, submedian setae close to campaniform sensilla (CPS); the posterior margin of VII has seta forming a median comb with teeth 0.25 times the size of the median bristles; posterior margin of VIII with complete comb of teeth, median teeth longer than laterals ( Fig. 45 ); IX and X with 3 and 2 pairs of thorn-like setae, respectively, tergite IX with microtrichia posteriorly, X with a complete longitudinal split. Sternites completely reticulate and with 3 pairs of short setae ahead of posterior margin.

Measurements (holotype female in microns): Body length 1700. Head, length 175; width across genae 207.5. Pronotum, length 132.5; width 250. Fore wing length 940. Tergite V median setae length 30. Tergite VIII median setae length 50. Tergite IX length 147.5. Tergite X length 65. Antennal segments I–VIII length 25, 45, 75, 55, 45, 37.5, 17.5, 90; III simple sense cone length 25, IV dorsal sense cone length 62.5, ventral sense cone length 30.

Male macroptera. Similar to female but smaller ( Fig. 41 ). Body brown but with abdominal segments lighter towards apex ( Fig. 41 ). Abdominal tergite IX with three contiguous and surmounted pairs of stout thorn-like setae, each posterior pair of setae slightly slender and lateral to the preceding pair ( Fig. 45 ). Sternites III–VII with each transverse robust pore plate ( Fig. 46 ).

Measurements (paratype male in microns): Body length 1475. Head, length 640; width across genae 180. Pronotum, length 107.5; width 227.5. Fore wing, length 600. Antennal segments I–VIII length 25, 35, 65, 47,5, 37,5, 35, 25, 75; III simple sense cone length 22.5, IV dorsal sense cone length 65, ventral sense cone length 25. Anterior pair of thorn-like setae on tergite IX length 20. Pore plate on sternite III length 22.5; width 90, on sternite VII length 22.5; width 60.

Material studied. Holotype female. Brazil. Acre: Rio Branco, Universidade Federal do Acre, dead twigs, 24.vii.2019 (E.F. B.Lima ) ( CHNUFPI).

Paratypes. Brazil. Acre: Rio Branco , Universidade Federal do Acre, dead twigs, 24.vii.2019, 3 females and 2 males, 25.vii.2019, 1 female; 27.vii.2019, 1 male; Amazonas: Manaus, Universidade Federal do Amazonas , 2.viii.2019, 2 females ; Amapá: Macapá, in dried leaves, 3.vi.2022, 1 female. Pará: Belém, Embrapa , on a dried branch, 30.v.2022, 1 female (E.F. B.Lima ) ( CHNUFPI) . Peru. Madre de Dios, Rio Tambopata Reserve, 30 Km SW of Puerto Maldonato, 290m, 12°50’S 69º20’W, fogging from ground primary flood plain, 27.x.1983, 3 females and 2 males (N.Stork) ( NHM) .

Comments. This species shares with H. angustior the less constricted antennal segments IV and V, the sense cone on segment IV extending to the middle of segment VI, and the abdomen of females brown, but it can be distinguished by the characters in the key. Specimens have been collected all over the Amazon Forest between Peru and Brazil, with a distance of about 2,500 Km from the Peruvian location to the eastern recorded location in the state of Pará, Brazil. Specimens from Peru are the ones referred by Mound & Marullo (1996) under H. haemorrhoidalis . This new species found in the Amazon reinforces the idea that the genus is native to South America. All of the recognized species in the genus are known from Brazil, with two widespread and three more restricted in distribution, but more records of this new species are expected from other areas in the Amazon from Ecuador to French Guyana. The name of this species is by apposition inspired by the most popular Brazilian football team, C.R. Flamengo, whose emblem shape resembles the metascutal triangle in Heliothrips .

Figures

FIGURES 40–46. Heliothrips flamengo sp. n. (40) female; (41) male; (42) antenna; (43) head and pronotum; (44) meso- and metanotum; (45) abdominal tergites VIII–X; (46) male abdominal sternites II–VIII (part).