Xyphandrothrips pallens, Okajima & Masumoto, 2025

Xyphandrothrips pallens sp. nov.

( Figs 356 View FIGURES 349–358 , 408–414 View FIGURES 408–414 )

Female (macroptera). Distended body length: about 1.5mm. Body bicolored ( Fig. 356 View FIGURES 349–358 ). Head, prothorax and mesothorax scarcely shaded with brown; tube pale brown, a little darker than head, with basal quarter yellow; metathorax and abdominal segments I– IX yellow. Legs largely yellow, femora very weakly shaded. Antennal segment I pale brown, almost as dark as head; segment II weakly shaded with brown, paler than segment I; segment III yellow; segments IV – VIII brown, almost concolorous with tube, pedicel of segment IV yellowish. Fore wings weakly shaded with brown. Major body setae pale. Head ( Fig. 308 View FIGURES 307–314 ) longer than wide, 1.33 times as long as wide in holotype; dorsal surface almost smooth, but very weakly sculptured with transverse striae. Cheeks very weakly rounded, or almost straight, gradually narrowed to base, serrated. Eyes about one-third of head length, 0.32 times as long as head in holotype. Posterior ocelli in contact with eyes, about 20µm apart from each other in holotype. Postocular setae situated relatively far from cheeks, shorter than eyes, expanded; 92µm apart from each other, about 8µm apart from eyes, 23µm from cheeks in holotype. Antennae ( Fig. 414 View FIGURES 408–414 ) short, 1.55 times as long as head in holotype; segment VIII conical, not constricted at base, widely and closely joined to segment VII; segment III almost as long as segment IV, longer than VII; segment IV the largest; segments III and IV with three (1+2) and four (2+2 +1) sense cones respectively. Maxillary stylets retracted to eyes, sub-parallel at middle, their distance narrower than one-fifth of head width, 23µm in holotype; maxillary bridge relatively distinct. Pronotum ( Fig. 408 View FIGURES 408–414 ) about 0.6 times as long as head, about 1.5 times as wide as long; almost smooth; five pairs of prothoracic setae expanded; am and aa subequal in length, ml and pa subequal, almost as long as postocular setae. Prospinasternum ( Fig. 409 View FIGURES 408–414 ) largely developed, about 40µm wide in holotype; mesopresternum narrowly boat-shaped. Mesonotal lateral setae developed, expanded. Metanotum ( Fig. 410 View FIGURES 408–414 ) weakly sculptured with reticulation; median pair of setae pointed, about 20µm, distance between both median setae wider than distance between each seta and anterior margin of metanotum, 48µm apart from each other, 28–30µm apart from anterior margin in holotype. Fore tarsal tooth long ( Fig. 412 View FIGURES 408–414 ). Fore wing with 4–6 duplicated cilia, 5–6 in holotype; three sub-basal setae expanded. Pelta ( Fig. 411 View FIGURES 408–414 ) very weak, almost trapezoid (uncertain in holotype), about 1.7 times as wide as long in holotype. Tergites III – VIII S2 setae: III – VI expanded, VII pointed, VIII bluntly pointed. Tergite IX S1 setae blunt, shorter than tube, S2 sharply pointed, longer than tube; intermediate setae much longer than half of Sl. Tube ( Fig. 413 View FIGURES 408–414 ) much shorter than 0.5 times as long as head, 0.41 times in holotype, about 1.7 times as long as wide; terminal setae about 1.5 times as long as tube .

Measurements (holotype female in µm). Body length about 1500 (distended). Head length 190, from anterior margin of eyes 175, width across eyes 131, maximum width across cheeks 143, minimum width across base 115; eyes length 60; diameter of posterior ocelli 13–16; postocular setae about 30. Maxillary bridge width 30. Antenna total length 295, segments III–VIII length (width) as follows: 41 (24), 41 (28), 38 (25), 37 (23), 30 (20), 23 (15). Pronotum length 115, width 171. Setae on prothorax: am?25, aa?30, ml?30, pa 33–36, epim 40. Fore wing length 570. Sub-basal wing setae: S1 25, S2 30, S3 33. Pelta length 53, width 90. Tergite IX setae: S1 65–68, S2 95. Tube length 77, maximum width 46; terminal setae 118.

Male. Unknown.

Type material. Holotype: macropterous female, Vietnam, Bac Can Province , Ba Be National Park, on dead branches, 2.viii.2000, SO . Paratype: Vietnam, 1 female, Quang Binh Prov., Bo Trach District, Son Trach, nr. Phone Nha , 20m alt., 14.viii.2007, SO .

Comments. This species is described from Vietnam based on two females. It can easily be distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following features: body bicolored pale brown and yellow; antennal segment III with three sense cones; sub-basal wing setae S3 expanded; S2 setae on tergite VIII bluntly pointed; tube short, 0.41 times as long as head. This species is somewhat similar to X. vietnamensis sp. nov. also from Vietnam in having antennal segment III with three sense cones and the sub-basal wing setae S3 expanded. These two species can be distinguished easily by the key above .