Nesothrips brigalowi Eow 2014, sp.n.

Nesothrips brigalowi sp.n.

(Figs 54, 64)

Female macroptera. Body uniformly brown, femora and tibiae brown but distal end of each paler, tarsi yellow; antennal segment I brown, II yellow, III–V yellow with apical brown shading progressively increasing, VI–VIII uniformly brown; major setae brown; fore wing lightly shaded.

Head wider than long, not projecting in front of eyes, vertex weakly reticulate only near margins; postocellar setae acute, arising within ocellar triangle (Fig. 54); postocular setae long, acute; compound eyes almost equal in size dorsally and ventrally, several ventral ommatidia weakly pigmented; maxillary stylets wide V-shaped, retracted nearly to postocular setae; maxillary palp segment I about as long as wide, segment II about 3 times as long as I, without transverse lines, terminal sensorium setaceous. Antennal segment VIII not constricted at base.

Pronotum transverse, weakly reticulate near posterior margin, notopleural sutures complete; with 5 pairs of acute major setae, am more slender; mesopresternum transverse, boat-shaped; metathoracic sternopleural sutures long and curved. Mesonotum with reticulation bearing microtrichia on anterior half (Fig. 64). Metanotum reticulate medially; median setae well-developed (Fig. 64). Fore wing with about 10 duplicated cilia, sub-basal setae welldeveloped and acute. Pelta with rounded median lobe, constricted where lateral wings are connected, extending about 80% across anterior border of tergite II (Fig. 64); tergites III–VII each with pair of sigmoid wing-retaining setae; tergite IX setae acute, shorter than tube; tube shorter than head.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 2050. Head, length 200; width 235; postocellar setae 25; po setae 70. Pronotum, length 120; width 235; major setae am 35, aa 35, ml 25, epim 75, pa 55. Fore wing, length 850; sub-basal setae 40, 65, 100. Tergite IX setae S1 85, S2 150, S3 135. Tube length 190. Antennal segments III–VIII length 70, 70, 65, 65, 45, 30.

Male macroptera. Similar to female but much smaller, fore tarsus with small pointed tooth.

Specimens studied. Holotype female. Australia, Queensland, Dalby, from Acacia harpophylla, 27.ix.1997 (LAM3329).

Paratypes all from Queensland from same host: 1 male with same date and site as holotype; Dalby, Lake Broadwater, 2 females, 19.vii.1995, 2 females 2 males from dead branches, 8.iii.2006; Rosewood, 2 females from dead Acacia harpophylla leaves, 13.x.2006; 10km East of Moonie, 1 female, 28.ix.1997; 30km West of Charters Towers, 1 female, 30.vii.1993.

Comments. This is a typical member of Nesothrips, with widely spaced maxillary stylets, long maxillary palp segment II, and well-developed ocellar setae arising within the ocellar triangle anterior to the posterior ocelli. It is very similar to minor, apart from the position of the ocellar setae and the darker colour of the first antennal segment.