Neurisothrips saki Mound 2020, sp. n.
Creators: name: Mound, Laurence A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Thysanoptera
Thripidae
Neurisothrips
Neurisothrips saki

description: Neurisothrips saki sp. n.
(Figs 10, 14, 21, 30, 37, 49)
Female. Body and legs mainly light brown, all tarsi and fore tibiae yellowish; antennae mainly brown, segments III variable brownish yellow; fore wing and clavus brown (Fig. 10) but with broad sharply pale area distal to clavus apex extending fully across wing. With the character states of the genus: Head transverse with mouth cone long and extending beyond the fore coxae (Fig. 37); ocellar setae pair III long, po setae pair I absent, pair IV slightly longer than an ocellus (Fig. 14). Pronotum transversely reticulate, one pair of anteromarginal setae, 3–5 discal setae, midlateral pair long. Mesonotum with narrow transverse reticulations. Metanotal median setae arise behind anterior margin (Fig. 21), sculpture transverse at anterior, medially with converging closely spaced striae. Fore wing veinal setae relatively widely spaced, about 14 on first vein and 11 on second vein (Fig. 10). Tergites with irregular transverse reticulation laterally, without a group of setae; tergite X without a longitudinal split.
Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 1060. Head, length 35; width across eyes 115; ocellar setae III 60; po setae IV 20. Pronotum, length 100; width 160; pa setae 55. Metanotum median setae length 30. Fore wing length 600. Antennal segments III–VII length 40, 35, 35, 40, 23.
Male. Similar to female but smaller; tergite IX median setal pair arising posterior to lateral setae and to campaniform sensilla; sternites III–VII with small circular pore plate medially (Fig. 30).
Measurements (paratype male in microns). Body length 900. Ocellar setae III 45; po setae IV 15. Pronotal pa setae 40.
Specimens examined. Holotype female, Hawaii, Volcano National Park (19° 25’N, - 155° 17’W), from Cibotium expanding crozier, 6.vii.2016 (A.Wells), in BPBM.
Paratypes: 6 females 2 males taken with holotype; Hawaii, Toms Trail, 7 females beaten from vegetation including Cibotium, 9.vii.2016. Oahu, Kaala Summit, 14 females from Cibotium expanding croziers, 29.vii.2016 (LAM 6315); Puu Lanipo Trail, from Cibotium chamissoi terminals, 2 females 2 males, 18.xi.1945, 2 females, 22.v.1946 (Sakimura); Mt Tantalus, 2 females from Cibotium chamissoi terminals, 30.vi.1946 (Sakimura).
Comments. In addition to the type series listed above, there are further specimens of this species from Cibotium fronds in the Bishop Museum (slide-mounted by F.A.Bianchi), and in the USNM collection at Beltsville, Maryland (slide-mounted by J.D.Hood). Although most specimens studied are brown, the mid and hind tibiae are yellow in some specimens. However, a few specimens have been studied in which the body is largely yellow, with light brown shadings on the head, metanotum and tergite III, and antennal segments I–II clear yellow. It is possible that these yellow individuals represent a further new species, but both colour forms have been found on the Puu Lanipo Trail, Oahu. Since no structural differences can be found between them the yellow and brown individuals are here considered to be conspecific. This species is particularly unusual within the genus, for the longitudinally striate metanotum (Fig. 21), the few discal setae laterally on the abdominal tergites (Fig. 49), the unusually long mouth cone, and the habit of living on the very young tissues of a tree fern.
description: Published as part of Mound, Laurence A., 2020, Diversity in the Hawaiian endemic genus Neurisothrips (Thysanoptera, Thripidae), pp. 215-229 in Zootaxa 4779 (2) on page 226, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4779.2.4, http://zenodo.org/record/3833491