Karnyothrips variabilis Okajima & Masumoto, 2025, sp. n.
Creators: name: Okajima, Shûji
name: Masumoto, Masami
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Thysanoptera
Phlaeothripidae
Karnyothrips
Karnyothrips variabilis

description: Karnyothrips variabilis sp. n.
(Figs 40, 227–232)
Female (macroptera). Distended body length: 1.8–2.2mm. Bicolored species (Fig. 40). Head, thorax, and tube brown to dark brown, pterothorax somewhat paler than prothorax; abdominal segments yellowish, segments III – VII largely yellow, shaded with brown anteromedially, segments VIII and IX shaded largely with pale brown. Fore femora brown, almost concolorous with prothorax, with apices yellowish, mid and hind femora variable in color, pale brown with apices yellowish, or almost entirely yellowish; fore tibiae brownish yellow, mid and hind tibiae and tarsi yellow. Antennal segments I and IV – VIII brown, a little paler than head, segment IV with pedicel yellowish, segments II and III yellow, but segment II brownish basally. Fore wings with distal three-fourths shaded with pale brown, basal one-fourth pale; major body setae pale. Head about 1.4 times as long as wide (Fig. 227), 1.41 times in holotype, dorsal surface almost smooth. Cheeks very weakly rounded, weakly serrate. Postocular setae shorter than eyes, expanded at apex, 98µm apart from each other, 10–12µm apart from eyes in holotype. Eyes about 1/3 of head length, 0.35–0.36 times as long as head in holotype. Ocelli well developed; posterior pair in contact with eyes, 24µm apart from each other in holotype. Antennae about 1.7 times as long as head; segment VIII relatively slender (Fig. 231), weakly constricted basally, narrowly fused to segment VII, about 0.7 times as long as VII; segment III a little longer than segment VII; segment IV the longest (Fig. 232), much longer than VII; segments III and IV with two (1+1) and four (2+2 +1) sense cones respectively. Maxillary stylets scarcely reaching eyes, close together at middle, their distance 1/5 to 1/4 as wide as head, 32µm apart from each other in holotype; maxillary bridge rather distinct. Pronotum about 0.7 times as long as head, 0.73 times in holotype, 1.34 times as wide as long in holotype, almost smooth; four pairs of prominent setae expanded; aa and ml subequal in length, ml a little longer than pa, epim the longest, longer than postoculars. Notopleural sutures complete. Basantra wider than long; mesopresternum divided into two lateral triangle plates; prospinasternum very large, widely fan-shaped, 55µm wide in holotype (Fig. 229). Metanotum sculptured medially with longitudinal striae or reticles; median pair of setae weak, short and acute, more than 20µm in length, relatively close together, 30µm apart from each other, 55–57µm apart from anterior margin. Fore wing with 5–6 duplicated cilia; three sub-basal setae expanded, S1 the shortest, S3 the longest. Pelta trapezoid (Fig. 230), sculptured weakly, almost as wide as long. Tergite IX S1 setae expanded, shorter than tube, S2 sharply pointed, somewhat longer than tube. Tube a little longer than half of head length, 0.56 times as long as head in holotype,1.95 times as long as wide in holotype. Terminal setae a little longer than 2.0 times as long as tube.
Measurements (holotype female in µm). Body length 2150 (distended). Head length 200, from anterior margin of eyes 188, width across eyes 139, maximum width across cheeks 142; eyes length 70–71; diameter of posterior ocelli 12–16; postocular setae 53–56. Maxillary bridge width 38. Antenna total length 340, segments III–VIII length (width) as follows: 45 (27), 53 (29), 40 (26), 40 (23), 43 (22), 30 (12). Pronotum length 145, width 195. Setae on prothorax: aa about 50, ml 49–52, pa 45–47, epim 64. Fore wing length 830. Sub-basal wing setae: S1 42 –45, S2 48 –52, S3 50 –53. Pelta length 83, width 80. Tergite IX setae: S1 about 80, S2 about 120. Tube length 111, maximum width 57; terminal setae 230–242.
Male (macroptera). Distended body length: 1.4–1.7mm. Very similar in color and structure to macropterous female. Head about 1.4–1.5 times as long as wide (Fig. 228). Fore wing with 4–5 duplicated cilia.
Measurements (paratype male in µm). Body length 1650 (distended). Head length 187, from anterior margin of eyes 174, width across eyes 118, maximum width across cheeks 123; eyes length 68; diameter of posterior ocelli 12–14; postocular setae 48–50. Maxillary bridge width 37. Antenna total length 325, segments III–VIII length as follows: 44, 47, 43, 37, 38, 27. Pronotum length 116, width 160. Setae on prothorax: aa 43–46, ml 42–43, pa 43–45, epim 54–55. Fore wing length 720. Sub-basal wing setae: S1 38 –40, S2 47, S3 50. Pelta length 67, width 62. Tergite IX setae: S1 75–78, S2 38 –40. Tube length 103, maximum width 50; terminal setae 230–234.
Type material. Holotype: macropterous female, Peninsular Malaysia, Cameron Highland, nr. Brinchang, on dead leaves and branches, 25.viii.1990, TN & SO. Paratypes: Peninsular Malaysia, Cameron Highland, 4 females (mac.) and 2 males (mac.), collected together with holotype; 1 female (mac.) and 1 male (mac.), data very similar to above, but 27.viii.1990; 2 females (mac.), nr. Tanah Rata, Robinson water fall, on dead leaves and branches, 28.viii.1990, TN & SO; 1 female (mac.), foot of Gnung Jasar, on dead leaves and branches, 29.viii.1990, TN & S; 1 female (mac.), nr. Tanah Rata, on dead leaves and branches, 30.viii.1990, TN & SO; 3 females (mac.), Tanah Rata, on dead leaves and branches, 18.ix.1990, TN & SO; 1 female (mac.), Tanah Rata, 5.iii.1976, W. Suzuki; 2 females (mac.), Tapah, on dead leaves and branches, 16.ix.1990, TN & SO; Pahang, Eudau-Rompin Park, fogging, 2 females (mac.), 6.vii.2003, 1 female (mac.), 8.vii.2003, H. Kojima. Singapore, 1 female (mac.), Macritchie Park, on dead leaves, 22.vii.1976, SO.
Non-paratypic specimen. Borneo, 1 female (mac.), Sabah, Jl. Kimanis, 18km from Keningaw, on dead leaves and branches, 3.ix.1990, TN & SO; 1 female (mac.), Jl. Kimanis, 15km from Kimanis, on dead leaves and branches, 9.ix.1990, TN & SO. Indonesia, Sulawesi, 1 female (mac.), 31km W from Palopo, Puncak, alt. About 1300m, on dead leaves and branches, 19.viii.1984, SO; 5 females (mac.), nr. Rantepao, Pedamaran, alt. about 1000m, on dead leaves and branches, 8–14.viii.1984, SO; 2 females (mac.), 11km E from Malino, Kanreapia, alt. about 1500m, under bark, 2.viii.1984, SO; 1 male (mac.), Malino, alt. about 900m, on dead leaves and branches, 31.vii.1984, SO. Indonesia, Bali, 2 females (mac.), Belimbing Sari, alt. about 70m, on dead branches, 29.vii.1984, SO; 4 females (mac.), Tabanan, Jatiluwih (Peteli Temple), 867–915m alt., on dead branches, 14.iii.2005, SO; 1 female (mac.), Tabanan, Batu Sesa, 1270m alt., 14.viii.2005, SO; 1 female (mac.), Tabanan, Bengkel, Pura Batu Salahan, 685–894m alt., 3.ix.2005, SO; 1 female (mac.), Tabanan, Muncak Sari, Pura Luhur, 755–780m alt., 1 female (mac.), 2.ix.2005, 1 female (mac.), 4.ix.2005, 2 females (mac.), 2.ix.2006, SO; 1 female (mac.), Tabanan, Pakaranean, 1067m alt., 1.ix.2006, SO. Vietnam, Lam Dong Prov., Bao Loc, Dam Bri, 1 female (mac.), on bamboo, 26.xii.2001, 1 female (mac.), on grass, 26.xii.2001, 1 female (mac.), habitat unknown, 27.xii.2001, 1 female (mac.), on dead leaves, 28.xii.2001, 3 females (mac.), on bamboo, 28.xii.2001, SO. The Philippines, Mindanao, North Cotabato, Ilomavis, 1 female (mac.), on dead fern, 26.vii.1979, 3 females (mac.), on dead fern, 27.vii.1979, 1 female (mac.), on dead leaves, 29.vii.1979, SO; Mt. Apo, Agko, alt. about 1300m, 1 female (mac.), on dead branches, 30.vii.1979, 1 female (mac.), on dead leaves, 3.viii.1979, SO.
Comments. This species is described based on a good number of macropterous females and males taken from dead leafy branches in Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. It is very difficult to define this species, because it shows variations in some character states, such as the head length and the maxillary bridge width, even among specimens taken in the same sample. However, those differences are probably related to body size. This species can be distinguished from the congeners by a combination of the following character states: antennal segments IV – VIII brown; segment VIII weakly constricted basally, narrowly fused to VII, about 0.7 times as long as VII; segment IV with four sense cones; mesopresternum divided; basantra wider than long; S1 setae on tergite IX expanded. One female from Borneo, listed as a non-paratypic specimen, could not be distinguished from this species, but has several small differences. This species has been collected from dead leaves and branches.
It is interesting that one paratype female collected together with the holotype has three sense cones (1+2) on the third antennal segment.
description: Published as part of Okajima, Shûji & Masumoto, Masami, 2025, Review of the genus Karnyothrips (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripidae) from Asia between India and Japan, pp. 1-82 in Zootaxa 5578 (1) on pages 74-76, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5578.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/14763175