Neandrothrips apoae, Okajima & Masumoto, 2025

Neandrothrips apoae sp. nov.

( Figs 105 View FIGURES 102–111 , 130–137 View FIGURES 130–137 )

Female (macroptera). Distended body length: 1.4–1.6mm. Body brown ( Fig. 105 View FIGURES 102–111 ). All femora brown; all tibiae shaded with brown, but bases and apices paler; tarsi yellow. Antenna brown, segment III brownish yellow. Fore wing scarcely shaded with brown. Major body setae pale. Head ( Fig. 130 View FIGURES 130–137 ) longer than wide, about 1.2 times as long as wide, 1.19 times in holotype ; dorsal surface almost smooth at middle, weakly sculptured laterally with transverse striae. Cheeks very weakly rounded, constricted at base, weakly cut in at anterior end, weakly serrated. Eyes about one-third of head length. Ocelli moderately developed; posterior pair separated from eyes, about 20µm apart from each other in holotype . Postocular setae shorter than eyes, expanded; 88µm apart from each other, about 10µm apart from eyes in holotype . Antennae ( Fig. 137 View FIGURES 130–137 ) shorter about 1.9 times as long as head; segment VIII weakly constricted at base, about three-fourths of segment VII; segments III and IV subequal in length, longer than segment 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 postocular setae, narrowly V-shaped; maxillary bridge very weak, about 0.4 times as wide as head. Pronotum ( Fig. 130 View FIGURES 130–137 ) 0.63–0.68 times as long as head, 0.66 times in holotype , about 1.7 times as wide as long, 1.74 times in holotype; almost smooth; five pairs of prothoracic setae expanded; am setae almost as long as aa; epim a little longer than pa, much longer than postocular setae. Prospinasternum ( Fig. 131 View FIGURES 130–137 ) irregularly shaped, narrower than 25µm; mesopresternum complete, boat-shaped. Mesonotal lateral setae developed. expanded, about 20µm long. Metanotum ( Fig. 132 View FIGURES 130–137 ) sculptured with longitudinal reticulation; median pair of setae pointed, 20– 23µm, distance between both median setae much wider than distance between those setae and anterior margin of metanotum, 45µm apart from each other, 26–27µm apart from anterior margin in holotype . Fore tarsus ( Fig. 134 View FIGURES 130–137 ) with a tooth. Fore wing with 3–6 duplicated cilia, 4–5 in holotype ; three sub-basal setae well developed, expanded, S3 the longest. Pelta ( Fig. 133 View FIGURES 130–137 ) trapezoid with irregular lateral margins, sculptured weakly, 1.54 times as wide as long in holotype . Tergites III – VIII S2 setae: III and IV weakly expanded, but those on IV often bluntly pointed, V pointed or bluntly pointed, at least not expanded, VI – VIII pointed. Tergite IX S1 setae bluntly pointed, but often nearly pointed, shorter than tube, S2 sharply pointed, longer than S1, almost as long as tube; intermediate setae about half of Sl. Tube longer than 0.6 times as long as head, 0.63 times in holotype , about 2.1 times as long as wide; terminal setae about 1.2–1.3 times as long as tube, 1.26 times in holotype.

Measurements (holotype female in µm). Body length 1530 (distended). Head length 155, from anterior margin of eyes 140, width across eyes 123, maximum width across cheeks 130, minimum width across base 115; eyes length 52; diameter of posterior ocelli 10–12; postocular setae 30–33. Maxillary bridge width 53. Antenna total length 290, segments III–VIII length (width) as follows: 39 (25), 40 (28), 36 (25), 36 (22), 33 (19), 25 (10). Pronotum length 102, width 177. Setae on prothorax: am 27–29, aa 28, ml 35–36, pa 36–40, epim 40–42. Fore wing length 630. Sub-basal wing setae: S1 32 –35, S2 37 –39, S3 44 –45. Pelta length 52, width 80. Tergite IX setae: S1 75, S2 92–100. Tube length 97, maximum width 47; terminal setae 122.

Male (macroptera). Distended body length: 1.2–1.3mm. Very similar to macropterous female in color and structure, and shows slight allometric growth. Tip of pseudovirga widely rounded ( Fig. 136 View FIGURES 130–137 ), 12–13µm wide.

Measurements (paratype male in µm). Body length 1250 (distended). Head length 155, from anterior margin of eyes 138, width across eyes 113, maximum width across cheeks 123, minimum width across base 103; eyes length 54; diameter of posterior ocelli 10–12; postocular setae 37–38. Maxillary bridge width 60. Antenna total length 270, segments III–VIII length as follows: 37, 38, 32, 35, 34, 26. Pronotum length 90, width 158. Setae on prothorax: am 22–24, aa 26, ml 33–35, pa 30–33, epim 32–35. Fore wing length 570. Sub-basal wing setae: S1 30 –32, S2 30 –33, S3 42 –43. Pelta length 43, width 70. Tergite IX setae: S1 65–67, S2 about 20. Tube length 78, maximum width 42; terminal setae 120.

Type material. Holotype: macropterous female, the Philippines, Mindanao , Mt.Apo, Agko, on half dead grass, 2.viii.1979, SO . Paratype: the Philippines, Mindanao, 15 females and 6 males, collected together with holotype; locality and collector as in holotype, 2 females and 5 males, on dead branches, 30.vii.1979, 12 females and 5 males, on dead fern, 30.vii.1979, 5 females and 1 male, on dead leaves, 30.vii.1979, 4 females and 1 male, on half dead grass, 31.vii.1979, 1 female, on bush with bamboo, 31.vii.1979, 10 females and 1 male, on dead leaves, 31.vii.1979, 3 females and 1 male, on half dead grass, 1.viii.1979, 8 females and 3 males, on dead leaves, 2.viii.1979, 8 females and 1 male, on dead leaves, 3.viii.1979, 5 females and 2 males, on dead Palmae fronds, 4.viii.1979; North Cotabato, Ilomavis , 1 female and 2 males, on dead leaves, 26.vii.1979, 6 females and 1 male, on dead fern, 27.vii.1979, 10 females and 3 males, on dead leaves, 28.vii.1979, 16 females, on dead branches, 29.vii.1979, 5 females and 1 male, on dead twigs, 29.vii.1979, SO .

Comments. This species was taken from the mountainous region of Mindanao, the Philippines, and may be included in the pictipes -group. It is described based on a good series of females and males taken mainly from dead plants, and probably related to N. kundasangi sp. nov. described below from Sabah, Borneo. However, N. apoae has three sense cones on antennal segment III, whereas kundasangi has only two sense cones on that segment.