Leptandrothrips inexpectus, Okajima & Masumoto, 2025

Leptandrothrips inexpectus sp. nov.

( Figs 9 View FIGURES 6–17 , 33–40 View FIGURES 33–40 )

Female (macroptera). Distended body length: 1.9mm. Body brown. Femora brown, with apices yellowish ( Fig. 9 View FIGURES 6–17 ); tibiae and tarsi yellow, fore tibiae scarcely shaded. Antennal segments I and IV–VIII brown, segment II pale brown, somewhat paler than segment I; segment III pale brown, with basal one-third yellowish. Fore wing very weakly shaded with brown. Major body setae pale. Head ( Fig. 33 View FIGURES 33–40 ) much longer than wide, 1.35 times as long as wide, widest across cheeks just behind eyes, dorsal surface very weakly sculptured with polygonal reticulation at middle, sculptured distinctly at base. Cheeks very weakly rounded, weakly serrate. Postocular setae a little shorter than eyes, expanded, 112µm apart from each other, 12–13µm apart from eyes. Eyes 0.31 times as long as head. Posterior ocelli scarcely separated from eyes, 33µm apart from each other. Antennae ( Fig. 40 View FIGURES 33–40 ) 1.86 times as long as head; segment III ( Fig. 38 View FIGURES 33–40 ) widely truncated at apex, about 1.3 times as long as wide, shorter than segment VII; segments III and IV with three (1+2) and four (2+2) sense-cones respectively. Condition of maxillary stylets uncertain, because they are bringing out from the head, but may be relatively close together and their distance may be about one-third of head width apart; maxillary bridge distinct, about one-third of head width. Pronotum 0.66 times as long as head, 1.41 times as wide as long, almost smooth; five pairs of major setae expanded; aa and ml subequal in length, epim much longer than pa, the longest, longer than postoculars. Mesopresternum ( Fig. 35 View FIGURES 33–40 ) transverse, but narrow; prospinasternum well developed, almost inverted triangle, about 45µm wide. Mesonotal lateral setae developed, about 30µm long, expanded. Metanotum ( Fig. 34 View FIGURES 33–40 ) very weakly sculptured with polygonal reticulation, but invisible even using phase contrast illumination; median pair of setae finely pointed, longer than 30µm in length, 54µm apart from each other, 32–36µm apart from anterior margin. Fore wing with 5 duplicated cilia; three sub-basal setae expanded, S3 the longest. Pelta ( Fig. 36 View FIGURES 33–40 ) triangle, sculptured weakly, 1.07 times as wide as long. Tergites III–VIII S2 setae: III–VI expanded, VII and VIII pointed. Tergite IX S2 setae much longer than S1. Tube ( Fig. 39 View FIGURES 33–40 ) 0.56 times as long as head, 1.82 times as long as wide. Terminal setae about 1.9 times as long as tube.

Measurements (holotype female in µm). Body length about 1900 (distended). Head length 185, from anterior margin of eyes 170, width across eyes 132, maximum width across cheeks 137, minimum width across base 113; eyes length 57; diameter of posterior ocelli 10–13; postocular setae 45–50. Maxillary bridge width 45. Antenna total length 345, segments III–VIII length (width) as follows: 40 (30), 50 (30), 47 (25), 40 (23), 43 (20), 23 (15). Pronotum length 123, width 173. Setae on prothorax: am about 30, aa about 30, ml?, pa 40, epim 55. Fore wing length 710. Sub-basal wing setae: S1 36 –38, S2 38 –40, S3 53. Pelta length 70, width 75. Tergite IX setae: S1 135–145, S2 180–190. Tube length 104, maximum width 57; terminal setae about 200.

Male. Unknown.

Type material. Holotype: macropterous female, Vietnam, Lao Cai Province, Sa Pa , on dead leaves and branches, 6.viii.2000, SO.

Comments. This species is described from northern Vietnam based on a unique macropterous female. It has antennal segment VIII widely joined to segment VII, antennal segment III widely truncated at apex, the fore tarsus unarmed, and the posteromarginal setae S1 and S2 on tergite IX much longer than tube. Because of these features, inexpectus is undoubtedly included in the genus Leptandrothrips . From its congeners, however, it is easily distinguished by the presence on antennal segment IV of four (2+2) sense cones.