Neandrothrips andromorphus, Okajima & Masumoto, 2025

Neandrothrips andromorphus sp. nov.

( Figs 103–104 View FIGURES 102–111 , 119–129 View FIGURES 119–129 )

Female (macroptera). Distended body length: 1.7–1.9mm. Body brown ( Fig. 103 View FIGURES 102–111 ). All femora brown, concolorous with head; fore tibia scarcely shaded with brown, with apex paler, mid tibia scarcely shaded with brown medially, hind tibia yellow; tarsi yellow. Antenna brown, segment III yellowish brown, with extreme base paler, segment IV with extreme base slightly paler. Fore wing scarcely shaded with brown, but paler at base and apex. Major body setae pale. Head ( Fig. 119 View FIGURES 119–129 ) longer than wide, more than 1.2 times as long as wide, 1.26 times in holotype , widest just behind eyes; dorsal surface weakly sculptured with transverse reticulation. Cheeks very weakly rounded or almost straight, gradually constricted towards base, weakly serrated. Eyes well developed, a little longer than 1/3 of head length. Ocelli moderately developed; posterior pair scarcely separated from eyes, 22µm apart from each other in holotype . Postocular setae shorter than eyes, expanded; 104µm apart from each other, about 10µm apart from eyes in holotype . Antennae ( Fig. 129 View FIGURES 119–129 ) about 1.8 times as long as head; segment VIII weakly constricted at base, a little shorter than 0.7 times as long as segment VII, 0.65 times in holotype ; segments III and IV subequal in length, much longer than segment VII; segments III and IV with three (1+2) and four (2+2 +1) sense cones respectively. Maxillary stylets usually not reaching postocular setae, narrowly V-shaped; maxillary bridge about 0.4 times as wide as head, 0.42 times in holotype . Pronotum ( Fig. 119 View FIGURES 119–129 ) 0.62–0.66 times as long as head, 0.64 times in holotype , about 1.6 times as wide as long, 1.57 times in holotype; almost smooth; five pairs of prothoracic setae expanded; am setae slender, but almost as long as aa; ml, pa and epim well developed, ml almost as long as postocular setae; epim the longest. Prospinasternum ( Fig. 122 View FIGURES 119–129 ) irregularly shaped, inverted triangle, 25µm wide in holotype; mesopresternum complete. Mesonotal lateral setae developed, weakly expanded, about 20µm long (invisible in holotype). Metanotum ( Fig. 123 View FIGURES 119–129 ) sculptured with longitudinal reticulation; median pair of setae finely pointed, 20–25µm long, distance between both median setae much wider than distance between those setae and anterior margin of metanotum, 53µm apart from each other, 30–34µm apart from anterior margin in holotype . Fore femur ( Fig. 126 View FIGURES 119–129 ) with a sub-basal indistinct swelling on inner-ventral surface, usually scattered with a series of small tubercles from the swelling to middle; fore tibia with a small sub-apical seta-bearing tubercle; fore tarsus ( Fig. 125 View FIGURES 119–129 ) with a stout tooth. Fore wing with 4–7 duplicated cilia, 5–6 in holotype ; three sub-basal setae well developed, expanded, S3 the longest. Pelta ( Fig. 124 View FIGURES 119–129 ) trapezoid with irregular lateral margins, about 1.5 times as wide as long in holotype . Tergites III – VIII S2 setae: III expanded, IV – VIII pointed, but those on V often blunt or very weakly expanded. Tergite IX S1 setae blunt or bluntly pointed, but often nearly pointed, shorter than S2, S2 finely pointed, shorter than tube; intermediate setae longer than half of Sl. Tube about 0.6 times as long as head, 0.61 times in holotype , longer than 2.0 times as long as wide, 2.34 times in holotype; terminal setae about 1.3–1.4 times as long as tube, 1.37 times in holotype.

Measurements (holotype female in µm). Body length 1890 (distended). Head length 191, from anterior margin of eyes 177, width across eyes 147, maximum width across cheeks 151, minimum width across base 120; eyes length 69; diameter of posterior ocelli 13–16; postocular setae 40–42. Maxillary bridge width 63. Antenna total length 345, segments III–VIII length (width) as follows: 50 (27), 50 (27), 44 (23), 43 (22), 40 (19), 26 (11). Pronotum length 122, width 192. Setae on prothorax: am 23–25, aa 26–28, ml 42–45, pa 48–49, epim 50–52. Fore wing length 810. Sub-basal wing setae: S1 47 –48, S2 53 –55, S3 68–70. Pelta length 65, width 98. Tergite IX setae: S1 85–86, S2 92. Tube length 117, maximum width 50; terminal setae 160.

Male (macroptera). Distended body length: 1.4–1.7mm.Very similar to macropterous female, and show extreme allometric growth ( Fig. 104 View FIGURES 102–111 ). Small male very similar to female, but cheeks rounded ( Fig. 120 View FIGURES 119–129 ); metanotal median pair of setae closer together. Large male: head about 1.3 times as long as wide ( Fig. 121 View FIGURES 119–129 ); prothorax enlarged, am setae much shorter than aa; fore femur enlarged, usually with a series of small tubercles, often indistinct, arranged in a line on inner-ventral surface ( Fig. 127 View FIGURES 119–129 ); fore tarsal tooth stout

Measurements (paratype small–large males in µm). Body length 1430–1650 (distended). Head length 172– 182, from anterior margin of eyes 153–168, width across eyes 130–137, maximum width across cheeks 133–140, minimum width across base 103–107; eyes length 63–67; diameter of posterior ocelli 12–17; postocular setae 42–42. Maxillary bridge width 65–59. Antenna total length 315–360, segments III–VIII length as follows: 45–50, 45–54, 37–45, 39–47, 39–41, 25–28. Pronotum length 95–118, width 157–180. Setae on prothorax: am 22–22, aa 24–35, ml 38–43, pa 43–48, epim 45–53. Fore wing length 640–710. Sub-basal wing setae: S1 38 –46, S2 40 –53, S3 61–70. Pelta length 57–63, width 67–80. Tergite IX setae: S1 60 –60, S2 20 –23. Tube length 97–103, maximum width 40–45; terminal setae 140–150.

Type material. Holotype: macropterous female, Peninsular Malaysia, Cameron Highland, nr. Brinchang, on dead leaves and branches, 25.viii.1990, TN & SO . Paratypes: Peninsular Malaysia, 13 females and 10 males, collected together with holotype; 3 females and 3 males, data very similar to holotype, but 27.viii.1990; Cameron

Highland, foot of Gnung Jasar , on dead leaves and branches, 1 female, 29.viii.1990, 4 females and 2 males, 19.ix.1990, TN & SO; Fraser’s Hill, on dead leaves and branches, 2 males, 13.ix.1990, 1 female, 14.ix.1990, TN & SO .

Doubtful specimens. Peninsular Malaysia, Cameron Highland, nr. Brinchang, on dead leaves and branches, 5 females, 25.viii.1990, 3 females, 27.viii.1990, TN & SO; 1 female, Cameron Highland, foot of Gnung Brinchang, on dead leaves and branches, 26.viii.1990, TN & SO; 2 females, Cameron Highland, on dead leaves and branches, 29.viii.1990, TN & SO.

Comments. This species is collected from mountainous area of Peninsular Malaysia. It may be included in the pictipes -group, and is somewhat similar to N. kadazani sp. nov. described below from Sabah, Borneo. It can be distinguished by the following features: maxillary stylets scarcely reaching postocular setae (reaching eyes in kadazani ); maxillary bridge wider than 0.4 times as wide as head in female (about one-third of head width in kadazani ); fore femur with a series of small tubercles on inner-ventral surface (smooth in kadazani ). Eleven females listed under the doubtful specimens were collected together with the type series of andromorphus , but have the fore femora unarmed and the posteromarginal setae S1 on tergite IX elongate. It is not yet clear whether these morphological differences are simply intraspecific variations or due to different species.

The fore femora of this species have a series of small tubercles on inner-ventral surface, and similar structures are also found in Androthrips species. However, Androthrips species has the prothoracic anteromarginal setae reduced, a distinct sub-basal inner tubercle on the fore femur, usually has an apical inner scale on the fore tibia in both sexes, and is not considered so closely related.