Neandrothrips taiwanus, Okajima & Masumoto, 2025

Neandrothrips taiwanus sp. nov.

( Figs 297 View FIGURES 297–306 , 307–314 View FIGURES 307–314 )

Female (macroptera). Distended body length: 1.6mm. Body brown ( Fig. 297 View FIGURES 297–306 ). All femora brown, with apices yellowish; fore tibia pale brown, mid and hind tibiae brown with apices scarcely paler; tarsi yellow.Antennal segments I– III pale brown, segments IV – VIII pale brown to brown, gradually darkened distally, segment IV with basal one-third yellowish. Fore wing scarcely shaded with brown. Major body setae pale. Head ( Fig. 307 View FIGURES 307–314 ) almost as long as wide; dorsal surface sculptured laterally and posteriorly with transverse striae, very weakly sculptured medially, but smooth between eyes. Cheeks rounded, constricted at base, weakly serrated. Eyes about one-third as long as head. Ocelli moderately developed; posterior pair scarcely separated from eyes, 25µm apart from each other in holotype. Postocular setae much shorter than eyes, blunt or very weakly expanded, at least not pointed; 107µm apart from each other, about 10µm apart from eyes in holotype. Antennae ( Fig. 314 View FIGURES 307–314 ) about 2.0 times as long as head; segment VIII constricted at base, narrowly joined to VII, about 0.8 times as long as VII; segment III formed asymmetrically; segment IV the largest; segments III and IV with three (1+2) and four (2+2 +1) sense cones respectively. Maxillary stylets retracted to postocular setae, wider apart, almost V-shaped. Pronotum ( Fig. 307 View FIGURES 307–314 ) about 0.7 times as long as head, 0.68 times in holotype, 1.8–1.9 times as wide as long; almost smooth, but very weakly sculptured posteriorly; am setae short and pointed, shorter than aa and ml; aa, ml, pa and epim weakly expanded or blunt, pa almost as long as postoculars. Prospinasternum ( Fig. 308 View FIGURES 307–314 ) fan-shaped, 32µm wide in holotype; mesopresternum complete. Mesonotal lateral setae minute, less than 10µm in length. Metanotum ( Fig. 309 View FIGURES 307–314 ) sculptured with reticulation; median pair of setae pointed, about 20µm, their distance almost as wide as distance between that seta and anterior margin of mesonotum, 42µm apart from each other, 42–47µm apart from anterior margin in holotype. Fore tarsus with a small tooth ( Fig. 311 View FIGURES 307–314 ). Fore wing with 5–6 duplicated cilia; sub-basal setae S1 and S2 weakly expanded, S3 blunt. Pelta ( Fig. 310 View FIGURES 307–314 ) trapezoid, about 1.7 times as wide as long in holotype. Tergites II – VIII S1 setae: II – V weakly expanded, VI – VIII blunt. Tergites III – VIII S2 setae pointed. Tergite IX S1 and S2 setae pointed, much shorter than tube, S2 longer than S1; intermediate setae about two-thirds of S1. Tube about 0.6 times as long as head, 0.62 times in holotype, about 1.8 times as long as wide; terminal setae almost as long as tube, or a little shorter .

Measurements (holotype female in µm). Body length 1560 (distended). Head length 153, from anterior margin of eyes 140, width across eyes 144, maximum width across cheeks 152, minimum width across base 128; eyes length 52; diameter of posterior ocelli 11–13; postocular setae 27. Maxillary bridge width 63. Antenna total length 314, segments III–VIII length (width) as follows: 45 (26), 43 (28), 38 (23), 40 (23), 35 (21), 28 (12). Pronotum length 104, width 195. Setae on prothorax: am 13–15, aa?20, ml?20, pa 25–28, epim 40–42. Fore wing length 615. Sub-basal wing setae: S1 30 –33, S2 30, S3 45 –53. Pelta length 58, width 98. Tergite IX setae: S1 57 –59, S2 72. Tube length 95, maximum width 52; terminal setae 90–94.

Male (macroptera). Distended body length: 1.1–1.3 mm. Very similar in color and structure to macropterous female. Pronotal pa often reduced. Short and pointed.

Measurements (paratype male in µm). Body length about 1300 (distended). Head length 140, from anterior margin of eyes 128, width across eyes 133, maximum width across cheeks 138, minimum width across base 117; eyes length 52; diameter of posterior ocelli 10–12; postocular setae 30. Maxillary bridge width 60. Antenna total length 305, segments III–VIII length as follows: 43, 44, 37, 38, 34, 29. Pronotum length 97, width 180. Setae on prothorax: am 12–13, aa?20, ml?20, pa 22–23, epim 38–40. Fore wing length 530. Sub-basal wing setae: S1 32, S2 30 –32, S3 50. Pelta length 50, width 80. Tergite IX setae: S1 47 –48, S2 20. Tube length 82, maximum width 47; terminal setae 82.

Type material. Holotype: macropterous female, Taiwan, Taoyuan Hsien, Mt. Lala-shan , on dead leaves and branches, 19.viii.1993, TN & SO . Paratypes: Taiwan, 8 females and 8 males, collected together with holotype; Pintung Hsien, Kenting Nat. Park , 1 male, on dead leaves, 18.iii.1984, SO; Nantou Hsien, Nanshanchi, on dead leaves, 1 female and 1 male, 24.iii.1984, 1 female, 25.iii.1984, SO; 1 female, Nantou Hsien, foot of Mt. Nankao, nr. Wanta , on dead branches, 1.iv.1984 , SO.

Comments. This species is described from Taiwan based on several females and males taken from dead branches, and it seems likely to be a fungus-feeder. It may be included in the pictipes -group and is somewhat similar to N. boninae sp. nov. from the Ogasawara Islands, Japan. However, these two species can be distinguished by the key above.