Podothrips etsukoae, Minoura & Masumoto, 2020

Minoura, Kazushige & Masumoto, Masami, 2020, A new species of the genus Podothrips Hood- - (Thysanoptera; Phlaeothripid- - ae) from Thailand- -, Zootaxa 4834 (2), pp. 293-297 : 294-295

Podothrips etsukoae sp. n.

( Figs 1–8 )

Female macroptera. Body length 1.9–2.1mm. Body bicoloured yellow and brown ( Fig. 1 ); head brown with basal fourth slightly pale dorsally; meso- and metanota laterally shaded; abdominal segments VIII–IX and tube brown, the rest of body largely yellow, tergites III and IV each with a brown anterior marking; legs yellow; antennal segment I brown, II brownish yellow, III and IV yellow, V and VI yellow with apices pale brown, VII and VIII brown; fore wings almost pale; major body setae pale. Head ( Fig. 3 ) rather flat, about 1.1 times as long as broad, dorsal surface almost smooth; postocular setae less than half the length of compound eyes, pointed at apex; cheeks rounded, without tubercle behind compound eyes; mouth-cone short and rounded at apex. Antennae 8-segmented ( Fig. 4 ), dorsal surface almost smooth, about 1.7 times as long as head; segments III and IV with 2 (1+1), IV with 3 (1+1 +1) sensecones, VII weakly pedicelate, VIII not constricted at base. Maxillary stylets almost reaching postocular setae, rather close together medially; maxillary bridge narrow, about one-third as broad as head. Pronotum about 0.9 times as long as head, notopleural suture complete; am not longer than discal setae, major setae short and expanded at apex except pa, epim longest, aa weakly expanded. Basantral sclerites much longer than broad, usually united in basal one-third ( Fig. 5 ), sometime separated ( Fig. 6 ). Fore tibia with a distinct inner subapical tubercle ( Fig. 3 ). Metanotum almost smooth medially. Metathoracic sternopleural sutures present. Fore wing weakly constricted medially, with 2–4 duplicated cilia; three sub-basal setae short, S1 and S3 pointed at apex (right S1 of holotype expanded), S2 expanded ( Fig. 7 ). Pelta hat-shaped, with a pair of campaniform sensilla ( Fig. 8 ). Abdominal tergites II–VII each with 2 pairs of wing retaining setae; tergite IX with setae S1 and S2 sharply pointed at apex, S1 shorter than tube, S2 longer than tube. Tube weakly swollen at base, about 2.6 times as long as head, anal setae much longer than tube.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Total distended body length 2006. Head length 192, from anterior margin of compound eyes 173, width across compound eyes 166, across cheeks 175, across cheeks at base 128; compound eye length 69, width 41. Pronotal median length 179, width 206; forewing length 677–687. Pelta length 57, basal width 98. Tube length 100, basal width 57, apical width 28. Antennal segments I–VIII length (width) as follows: 22–26 (31–32); 41 (27); 50–51 (23–24); 47–48 (25–26); 44–45 (23); 41 (20–21); 41–42 (18–19); 24–26 (10–11). Length of setae: postoculars 19–24; prothoracic aa 8, ml about 5–6, pa 12, epim36–39; metathoracic medians 18–20; wing sub-basals S1 5, S2 8 –12, S3 17 –18; tergite IX posteromarginals S1 79–92, S2 130–135; anals 232.

Male macroptera. Body length: 1.5–1.6 mm. Very similar in colour and structure to female, but abdominal segments VIII yellow, IX and tube brown ( Fig. 2 ). Head about 1.1 times as long as broad. Abdominal sternite VIII without pore plate. Tube 0.5–0.6 times as long as head.

Measurements (a paratype male in microns). Total distended body length 1521. Head length161, from anterior margin of compound eye 149, width across compound eyes 145, across cheeks 149, across cheeks at base 111; compound eye length 59, width 37. Pronotal median length 139, width 171; forewing length 553. Pelta length 44, basal width 77. Tube length 83, basal width 44, apical width 26. Antennal segments I–VIII length (width) as follows: 20 (25); 31–34 (24); 46–47 (21–22); 43–45 (22–23); 43 (19–21); 35–38 (18); 38–39 (15–16); 23–26 (8–10). Length of setae: postoculars 10; prothoracic aa 9–13, ml 3, pa 5, epim 28–31; metathoracic medians 11–15; wing sub-basals S1 4, S2 8, S3 7; tergum IX posteromarginals S1 41 –52, S2 41 –44; anals 179.

Specimens stud­­ied­­. Holotype female, THAILAND, Bangkok, Kasetsart University , on bamboo, 4-vii-2013 (K. Minoura) . Paratypes (all collected by K. Minoura): 3 females and 1 male collected together with holotype; same locality and host plant with holotype : 2 males, 19-vii-2013; 1 female, 24-x-2013; Bangkok, Chatuchak Park, on bamboo ; 2 males, 28-vii-2013. The holotype and paratypes are deposited in TUA .

Comments. The presence of basantra is an important character state of Haplothrips lineage. The plates are paired and are usually close to each other but distinctly separate, and in Podothrips species each plate is much longer than broad. However, in this new species the basantral plates are fused to each other basally, a feature that is unique among Podothrips species. The single species in the genus Okajimathrips , from Taiwan, the basantra are often fused to the fernal sclerites. One male collected together with holotype of P. etsukoae is excluded from type series, because it has the fore wing sub-basal setae S1 expanded at apex and abdominal segments III–V each with a brown anterior marking. P. etsukoae can be distinguished easily by the above key from the other three species known from Thailand, lucasseni , ferrugineus and bellatulus . P. lucasseni is widespread in Southeast Asia to Japan, Australia and Hawaii but the other two species have not been known other than from Thailand. This new species is similar to P. bellatulus from Thailand in colour and acute postocular setae but can be distinguished by the key above. Moreover, P. semiflavus Hood from Puerto Rico, Egypt, Uganda and China is also very similar to P. etsukoae in colour, acute postocular setae and antennal segment V with 3 (1+1 +1) sense-cones, but can be distinguished from the new species by having fore wing without duplicated cilia and acute subbasal setae, and pronotal major setae except epimerals acute at apex ( Ritchie 1974; Tyagi et al. 2020).

Etymology. In reference to the wife of Kazushige Minoura who supported this study.

Figures

FIGURES 1–2. Podothrips etsukoae sp. n. 1. Female; 2. Male.

FIGURES 3–9. Podothrips etsukoae sp. n., female: 3. Head & pronotum; 4. Antennal segments III–VIII; 5. Prosternum, BA=basantra, FE=ferna, MC=mouth-cone, SP=spinasternum; 6. Basantra (separated); 7. Subbasal setae on fore wing; 8. Pelta.