Asprothrips bimaculatus Michel & Ryckewaert, 2014, sp. n.

Asprothrips bimaculatus sp. n.

Female macroptera. Body bicolored, head and thorax dark brown, abdomen white with two large dark brown markings on tergite VI, antennal segments I–II brown, III–V white, VI bicoloured, VII–VIII brown; fore and middle legs brown, hind legs white; fore wings (Fig. 4) brown with basal fifth white. With the character states of the genus: head 2.1 times as wide as long (Fig. 2), ocellar setae I absent, pair II at the level of anterior ocellus, very close to margin of the compound eyes; ocellar setae III arising within ocellar triangle; four pairs of post-ocular setae. Antennal segment III with a long pedicel, VI with two long sense cones, the inner arising from the middle and the outer from the apical 1/5 of the segment, both almost reaching apex of segment VIII (Fig. 5). Pronotum (Fig. 2) reticulate with lines of sculpture within reticles except in discal area, with about 30 minute discal setae and 8-10 similar postero-marginal setae. Mesonotum with transverse anastomosing lines, two campaniform sensilla on anterior fourth, median pair of setae situated far from posterior margin. Metanotum reticulate medially with lines of sculpture within discal reticles; one pair of antero-lateral setae arising close to the anterior margin and one pair of median setae arising far from anterior margin; one pair of discal campaniform sensilla. Legs reticulate; fore and mid tarsi 2-segmented, hind tarsus 1-segmented; Hind tibiae with two apical stout setae. Fore wing (Fig. 4) membrane covered with stout microtrichia missing in two large areas in white part and in 2–3 rows from middle to apex in brown part; posteromarginal fringe slightly wavy; apex with 2 elongate setae. Tergites laterally with strong transverse sculpture reaching seta S2, bearing spine-like microtrichia (Fig. 3), with paired campaniform sensilla between discal setae 1 and 2, much closer to setae 2 on tergites II–VII; tergites II–IX with one pair of small posterior marginal setae; VII–VIII with posteromarginal comb represented by median row of small denticulations, V–VI with some minute spine-like denticulations along posterior margin identical to those on dorsal lines.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 770. Head length (width) 50 (133). Ocellar setae 7. Pronotal median length (width) 77 (153). Pronotum setae 7. Fore wing length 470. Antennal segments length (width), I 2 (20), II 22 (25), III 27 (15), IV 30 (12), V 25 (15), VI 32 (12), VII 7 (5), VIII 10 (5).

Specimens examined. Holotype female, Martinique, Soudon [14°38’43”N- 61°00’22”W] 16.ii.2012, on Dieffenbachia seguine (Araceae) in banana crop (P. Ryckewaert).

Paratypes: 4 females taken with holotype.

Etymology. Referring to the two large brown markings on the abdomen.

Comments. This new species is similar to navsariensis Tyagi and indicus (Bagnall) in the segmentation of the tarsi. However, it is the only species of Asprothrips with the body bicolored, because in navsariensis and seminigricornis the body is all white, whereas in indicus and fuscipennis the body is all brown. As in navsariensis, the pronotum has reticulate sculpture, and the posterior margin of abdominal tergite VIII possesses a comb of microtrichia. This new species differs from navsariensis by the absence of wrinkles in the discal reticles of the pronotum, the two conspicuous brown markings on abdominal segment VI, and the fore wing with a single brown area. Although known only from Martinique, this new species is probably introduced from some other part of the world.