Taxonomic confusion among gall-thrips and host-plants, with three new combinations from the genus Austrothrips (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripidae)
Author
Mound, Laurence
text
Zootaxa
2020
2020-03-25
4755
3
587
592
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.4755.3.10
c9bb3dff-7b8b-4968-a913-52120b4315c9
1175-5334
3736870
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:78C4D329-CC7D-4E98-B9EB-58081B459BC3
Solomonthrips vanuaensis
(Moulton)
comb.n.
(
Figs 10–15
)
Austrothrips vanuaensis
Moulton, 1944: 285
Described from
Fiji
based on a single micropterous male, this
holotype
has now been re-examined. It shares many character states with the eight described species of
Solomonthrips
, particularly the presence on tergite VIII of a pair of curved wing- retaining setae (
Fig. 13
), but also including the following: antennae with segment VIII long and slender, and two sense cones on each of antennal segments III and IV; head constricted behind the eyes with the stylets wide apart (
Fig. 10
); pronotum with only four pairs of major setae (
Fig. 12
); prosternal basantra present; pelta bell-shaped (
Fig. 15
); male sternite VIII without pore plate; male tergite IX setae S2 not shorter and stouter than S1. Only three other Phlaeothripinae genera share with
Solomonthrips
the character state of wing-retaining setae on tergite VIII (
Dang
et al
. 2014
), together with one of the six species in the genus
Neurothrips
(see
Mound & Marullo 1996
). The single species placed in
Lizalothrips
, described from The
Philippines
, shares with
vanuaensis
the presence of a single pair of weakly curved setae on tergite VIII, but the compound eyes are large and elongate ventrally, and the pronotum bears five pairs of major setae. The single species placed in
Propesolomonthrips
, also described from The
Philippines
, has two pairs of curved setae on tergite VIII, the pronotum with five pairs of major pronotal setae, the metanotum closely striate longitudinally, and antennal segment IV with three sense cones. Similarly, the eight species described in
Phylladothrips
have two pairs of wing-retaining setae on tergite VIII, but antennal seg- ments III and IV have three and four sense cones respectively. The species
vanuaensis
differs from the species of all four of these genera in having the pronotal anteromarginal setae minute (
Fig. 12
). From the described species of
Solomonthrips
it differs in lacking sculpture on the head and metanotum (
Fig. 10
), and it is unique among Phlaeothripinae in having a pair of remarkably stout, flattened setae on each of sternites VIII and IX (
Fig. 14
).