Lefroyothrips aliceae Li & Zhang, 2024, sp. n.
Creators: name: Li, Yajin
name: Zhang, Hongrui
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Thysanoptera
Thripidae
Lefroyothrips
Lefroyothrips aliceae

description: Lefroyothrips aliceae sp. n.
(Figs 1–6)
Female macroptera. Body brown (Fig. 1), legs yellow; head brown with yellow area between the compound eyes (Fig. 4); antennal segments I–II brown, III–IV brown with base and apex yellow, V yellow, VI–VIII brown (Fig. 6). Fore wing yellow with two median and sub-apical brown bands, clavus yellow (Fig. 5).
Head (Fig. 4) with transverse lines except ocellar area; ocellar setae I situated almost in a transverse line, one in front of the other; ocellar setae III arising at the center of the triangle between fore and hind ocelli; postocular setae situated in a line; maxillary palps 3-segmented. Pronotum (Fig. 3) with transverse lines, having median weak reticulations, about 40 discal setae present; one pair of anteromarginal setae as long as the discal setae; three pairs of posteromarginal setae, pair I the longest; inner pair of posteroangular setae slightly longer than outer. Mesonotum with transverse reticulations, median setae in front of posterior margin; anterior campaniform sensilla (CPS) present. Metanotum with reticulate sculpture medially, longitudinal striations laterally; median setae at anterior margin; CPS present (Fig. 2). Fore wing first vein with 7 basal setae, two setae on distal half; second vein with complete row of setae; clavus with 5 marginal setae and 1 discal seta (Fig. 5). Abdominal tergite I with complete transverse lines, II –VIII with transverse lines only on lateral tergites, smooth medially, IX with very weak reticulations, X smooth completely; tergites VIII with complete posteromarginal comb; IX with two pairs of CPS; X with incomplete median split; sternite VII with S1 and S2 setae situated in front of posterior margin.
Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 1910. Head, length 150; width across eyes 178; ocellar setae III length, 66. Pronotum, length 150; maximum width 240; posteroangular setae, inner, 88, outer, 75. Fore wing length 1050. Antennal segments I–VIII length 29, 38, 56, 69, 46, 66, 10, 16.
Male. Unknown.
Specimens examined. Holotype female: CHINA, Yunnan Province, Ruili City, 1 female from Solanum deflexicarpum, 28.ix.2008 (Liu Jia).
Etymology. In reference to Dr. Alice Wells for her great help during our study period in Canberra.
Comments. This new species is unique among Lefroyothrips members in having antennal segment V yellow. It runs to the Indian species obscurus based on the key given by Mound and Ng (2021). However, obscurus has ocellar setae III length longer (80 microns) than aliceae (66 microns). Mound and Ng (2021) also indicated that the description of the fore wing color of L. obscurus was imprecise, and the position of setae on sternite VII was not detailed, as the species is known solely from the type series. The relationship between aliceae and obscurus needs to be studied further.
This new species is also similar to lefroyi and tribulationi with abdominal segment VII S2 setae situated in front of posterior margin. However, it differs from lefroyi and tribulationi in having postocular setae arranged in only one row and metanotal median major setae arising behind anterior margin on metanotum respectively (Mound & Ng 2021).
description: Published as part of Li, Yajin & Zhang, Hongrui, 2024, Two new species of Lefroyothrips (Thysanoptera: Thripinae) from China, pp. 92-98 in Zootaxa 5489 (1) on pages 93-95, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5489.1.5, http://zenodo.org/record/13211189