Lefroyothrips varatharajani Rachana & Kenchannavar 2020, sp.n.

Lefroyothrips varatharajani sp.n.

Female macroptera. With the character states given in the generic diagnosis above. Body and legs yellow (Fig. 1); fore wing banded; antennal segment I white, II–III yellow, IV–V yellow basally and brown apically, VI–VIII brown, VII and VIII paler than VI (Fig. 3). Head with three pairs of ocellar setae, ocellar setae III twice the length of postocular setae I, arising almost at the centre of the tangent between the fore and hind ocelli; postocular setae arising in a row parallel to eye margin, pair II distinctly shorter than others (Fig. 7); mouth cone short and round, maxillary palps 3-segmented. Pronotum slightly widened towards base; two pairs of well developed posteroangular setae, subequal; three or four pairs of posteromarginal setae, median pair the longest (Fig. 5). Mesonotum with transverse sculpture lines, anteromedian campaniform sensilla present, not sculptured around; median pair of setae ahead of sub-median pair near posterior margin (Fig. 9). Metanotum with reticulate sculpture medially, longitudinal striations laterally; median pair of setae darker and stouter than sub-median pair (Fig. 4). Fore wing slightly yellow with two narrow brown cross bands at sub-basal and subapical areas; first vein with 7 proximal and 2 distal setae; second vein with 13–18 setae; clavus with 5+1 setae; terminal seta longer than sub-terminal seta (Fig. 11). Hind tibia with a row of 10 short spines on inner side and two stout spines at apex; hind tarsus with a pair of stout spines at apex. Abdominal tergite I striate, II–VIII with a few striations laterally; VIII with complete posteromarginal comb of long and fine microtrichia (Fig. 8); IX with two pairs of campaniform sensilla; X with incomplete median slit. Abdominal sternite II with two pairs of posteromarginal setae; III–VII with 3 pairs of posteromarginal setae, median pair of setae on VII arise ahead of posterior margin.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 1775. Head, length 145; width across eyes 165; ocellar setae III 25; postocular setae I 12.5. Pronotum, length 155; width 205; outer posteroangular setae 55; inner posteroangular setae 60. Fore wing length 810. Antennal segments III–VIII length 45, 55, 45, 55, 10, 15.

Male macroptera. Similar to female but paler and smaller (Fig. 2). Abdominal tergite IX with three pairs of stout, dark thorn like setae, anterior median pair the stoutest, posterior median pair the shortest (Fig. 6). Abdominal sternites III–VII each with a transverse pore plate slightly constricted at middle (Fig. 10).

Measurements (paratype male in microns). Body length 1200. Head, length 100; width across eyes 150; ocellar setae III 20. Pronotum, length 115; width 190; outer posteroangular setae 50; inner posteroangular setae 60. Fore wing length 650. Antennal segments III–VIII length 40, 45, 40, 55, 10, 15.

Material studied. Holotype female, INDIA, Karnataka, Bengaluru, GKVK campus from flowers of Mimusops elengi, 11.iii.2020 (Manjunath Kenchannavar) (ICAR / NBAIR / THYS/62). Paratypes 15 females, 8 males with same data as holotype. Holotype and paratypes deposited in the Indian Agricultural Insect Museum and National Repository, National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources (ICAR-NBAIR), Bengaluru, India.

Etymology. This new species is dedicated to Dr. Ramaiyer Varatharajan, Professor, Centre of Advanced Study in Life Sciences, Manipur University, India.

Comments. The new species is similar to Lefroyothrips lefroyi in having ocellar setae pair III shorter than distance between hind ocelli. However, it differs from L. lefroyi in having ocellar setae pair III twice the length of postocular setae, only a single row of postocular setae, and two brown bands on the fore wing without median seta.