Neandrothrips simulans Okajima & Masumoto, 2025, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Okajima, Shûji
name: Masumoto, Masami
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2025
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Thysanoptera
Phlaeothripidae
Neandrothrips
Neandrothrips simulans

description: Neandrothrips simulans sp. nov.
(Figs 240–241, 265–274)
Female (macroptera). Distended body length: 1.5–1.8mm. Body brown (Fig. 240). All femora brown; fore tibia pale brown, mid and hind tibiae yellow, scarcely tinged with brown; tarsi yellow. Antenna brown to brown, segment III a little paler than IV, with basal one-third yellowish. Fore wing and major body setae pale. Head (Fig. 265) much longer than wide, about 1.3 times as long as wide, 1.28 times in holotype; dorsal surface almost smooth. Cheeks very weakly rounded or rather straight, gradually narrowed to base, weakly serrated. Eyes about 0.3 times as long as head. Ocelli relatively small; posterior pair scarcely separated from eyes, 27µm apart from each other in holotype. Postocular setae much shorter than eyes, expanded; 93µm apart from each other, about 5–7µm apart from eyes in holotype. Antennae (Fig. 274) 1.7–1.8 times as long as head, 1.75 times in holotype; segment VIII constricted at base, narrowly joined to segment VII, about 0.6 times as long as VII; segment III widely truncated at apex, almost as long as segment VII; segment IV a little longer than III, the largest; segments III and IV each with two sense cones, (1+1) and (1 ++11) respectively; a small sense cone on segment IV situated inside of outer large sense c one on dorsal surface near anterior margin. Maxillary stylets retracted to postocular setae, sub-parallel at base, their distance 0.25–0.30 times as wide as head; maxillary bridge distinct. Pronotum (Fig. 265) shorter than 0.6 times as long as head, 0.66 times in holotype, about 1.5 times as wide as long, 1.48 times in holotype; almost smooth; five pairs of prothoracic setae expanded; am and aa subequal in length; ml a little longer than am; pa almost as long as postoculars; epim the longest. Prospinasternum (Fig. 268) irregularly fan-shaped, 33µm wide in holotype; mesopresternum narrowly boat-shaped, but somewhat swollen medially. Mesonotal lateral setae developed, expanded, a little more than 20µm in length. Metanotum (Fig. 269) sculptured with reticulation; median pair of setae pointed, about 20µm, their distance a little wider than distance between that seta and anterior margin of mesonotum, 38µm apart from each other, 32–35µm apart from anterior margin in holotype. Fore tarsal tooth small (Fig. 271). Fore wing with 4–6 duplicated cilia, 5 in holotype; three sub-basal setae expanded, subequal in length. Pelta (Fig. 270) trapezoid, 1.3–1.4 times as wide as long in holotype. Tergites III – VIII S2 setae: III – VI expanded, VII and VIII pointed. Tergite IX S1 and S2 setae pointed, S1 almost as long as tube, S2 longer than tube; intermediate setae about half of S1. Tube (Fig. 273) about 0.5 times as long as head, 1.8–1.9 times as long as wide; terminal setae about 2.0 times as long as tube.
Measurements (holotype female in µm). Body length 1550 (distended). Head length 163, from anterior margin of eyes 150, width across eyes 120, maximum width across cheeks 127, minimum width across base 104; eyes length 48; diameter of posterior ocelli 10–12; postocular setae 30–31. Maxillary bridge width 39. Antenna total length 285, segments III–VIII length (width) as follows: 37 (23), 39 (25), 37 (23), 35 (21), 37 (20), 23 (10). Pronotum length 108, width 160. Setae on prothorax: am 17–18, aa?20, ml?25, pa 32–33, epim 42. Fore wing length 550. Sub-basal wing setae: S1 23 –26, S2 24 –26, S3 25 –26. Pelta length 55, width 74. Tergite IX setae: S1 81–84, S2 91–96. Tube length 82, maximum width 44; terminal setae 168.
Male (macroptera). Distended body length: 1.1–1.4 mm. Very similar to macropterous female in color and structure, but show allometric growth. Postero-lateral setae S2 on tergite VIII blunt. Large male: prothorax and fore legs enlarged (Fig. 272); fore tarsal tooth stout; antennal segment somewhat slender.
Measurements (paratype male in µm). Body length about 1400 (distended). Head length 155, from anterior margin of eyes 145, width across eyes 122, maximum width across cheeks 127, minimum width across base 99; eyes length 48; diameter of posterior ocelli 8–12; postocular setae 30. Maxillary bridge width 38. Antenna total length 288, segments III–VIII length as follows: 41, 42, 40, 38, 37, 21. Pronotum length 116, width 162. Setae on prothorax: am 25, aa 23–25, ml 30–33, pa 35–40, epim 40. Fore wing length 530. Sub-basal wing setae: S1 25 –30, S2 30, S3 33. Pelta length 50, width 70. Tergite IX setae: S1 74–75, S2 25. Tube length 81, maximum width 45; terminal setae 163.
Type material. Holotype: macropterous female, Thailand, Fang, on dead leaves and branches, 23.viii.1992, TN & SO. Paratypes: Thailand, 1 male, collected together with holotype; 1 female, nr. Chiang Mai, foot of Doi Pui, on dead leaves and branches, 24.viii.1992, TN & SO; 1 male, nr. Chiang Mai, foot of Doi Saket, 25.viii.1992, TN & SO; 9 females and 11 males, nr. Chiang Mai, Doi Inthanon, on dead leaves and branches, 29.viii.1992, TN & SO; 4 females and 1 male, nr. Chiang Mai, Lam Pang, on dead leaves and branches, 28.viii.1992, TN & SO; 1 female, Farm of Chiang Mai University, on dead leaves and branches, 26.viii.1992, TN & SO; 1 female, Nr. Chiang Mai, foot of Doi Saket, on dry grass, 27.viii.1992, SO; 1 female, nr. Chiang Mai, Doi Suthep, on dead branches, 2.ix.1992, SO; 1 female, nr. Chiang Mai, Ka Jan, on dead leaves and branches, 3.ix.1992, SO; 1 female, on dead branches, 31.viii.1992, SO; 3 females and 1 male, nr. Chiang Mai, Pha Yao, on dead leaves and branches, 5.ix.1992, SO; 1 female and 2 males, Chiang Dao, on dead leaves, 23.viii.1992, TN; 1 female and 4 males, Nakprnprathom, Puttamonton, on dead branches, 18.ix.1991, Pornthip J.; 2 females, Hadyai (=Hatyai), on dead leaves and branches, 28.viii.1991, TN & SO. Thailand, Phuket, 1 female, Phuket Hill, on bamboo, 22.viii.1991, TN & SO; 2 females and 1 male, Rang Hill, on dead leaves and branches, 14.ix.1992, SO. Peninsular Malaysia, Tapah, 3 females and 1 males, on dead leaves, 26.vii.1976, 8 females and 3 males, on dead leaves, 28.vii.1976, 4 females and 2 males, on dead leaves, 30.vii.1976, SO; 2 females and 1 male, same locality as above, on dead leaves and branches, 16.ix.1990, TN & SO; 1 female and 2 males, Cameron Highland, 22km NE from Tapah, on dead leaves and branches, 16.ix.1990, TN & SO; 1 male, Cameron Highland, foot of Gnung Brinchang, on dead leaves and branches, 26.viii.1990, TN & SO; 1 female, about 20km N from Kuala Lumpur, Templer Park, on dead leaves, 12.viii.1990, TN & SO. Singapore, Macritchie Park, on dead leaves, 1 female, 22.vii.1976, 1 male, 23.vii.1976, 1 female, 3.viii.1976, SO.
Non-paratypic specimens. Borneo, 1 female and 1 male, Sabah, Jl. Kimanis, 15km from Kimanis, on dead leaves and branches, 9.ix.1990, TN & SO. Indonesia, Java, 1 male, Banyuwangi, Glemor, Tulung Rejo, Sumber Gondo, 300m alt., on dead branches, 27.viii.2005, SO. Indonesia, Flores, 1 male, Ende, Komandaru, 247 alt., on dead branches, 23.viii.2006, SO. Indonesia, Sulawesi, 1 female, near Rantepao, Pedamaran, alt. About 1000m, marginal roll gall with Thlibothrips sp., 10.viii.1984, on dead leaves and branches, 2 males, 8.viii.1984, 2 males, 10.viii.1984, 1 female, 11.viii.1984, 3 males, 12.viii.1984, SO. Vietnam, 1 female, Dong Nai Province, Tan Phu, Phu An, on dead leaves, 29.xii.2001, SO; 1 female, Nghe An Prov., Thanh Chuong District, Thanh An, Cau Cau, 9.viii.2007, SO. Japan, Ryukyu, 10 females and 9 males, Amami-ohshima Is., Hatsuno, on dead leaves, 6.vii.1972, SO.
Comments. This somewhat widely distributed species is included in the bamboosae -group. It may be closely related to N. tonesai sp. nov. described below from Phuket Is., Thailand, although tonesai has antennal segments III and IV with three (1+2) and four (2+2 +1) sense cones respectively, simulans has these segments each with two sense cones, (1+1) and (1 ++11). N. bamboosae from the temperate area of Japan has similar sense cone formula and may be most closely related to this species. However, bamboosae can easily be distinguished by having the intermediate antennal segment paler and the major body setae scarcely expanded, not distinctly expanded. N. agkoae sp. nov., described above from Mindanao Is., the Philippines, is also related to sumulans, and the differences between these two species are discussed under agkoae. Several females and males listed under the non-paratypic specimens may represent this species.
description: Published as part of Okajima, Shûji & Masumoto, Masami, 2025, Review of the ' Xylaplothrips-complex' (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripidae) from East Asia, pp. 1-108 in Zootaxa 5608 (1) on pages 72-74, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5608.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/15214473