Neandrothrips kundasangi, Okajima & Masumoto, 2025

Neandrothrips kundasangi sp. nov.

( Figs 180–181 View FIGURES 177–186 , 204–210 View FIGURES 204–210 )

Female (macroptera). Distended body length: 1.5–1.7mm. Body brown to dark brown ( Fig. 180 View FIGURES 177–186 ).All femora entirely brown to dark brown, concolorous with head; all tibiae brown, with bases and apices scarcely paler; tarsi yellow. Antenna brown to dark brown, but segment III clear yellow. Fore wing shaded with brown. Major body setae pale. Head ( Fig. 204 View FIGURES 204–210 ) longer than wide, about 1.3 times as long as wide, 1.29 times in holotype, widest across cheeks at middle; dorsal surface almost smooth at middle, sculptured with transverse striae laterally. Cheeks weakly rounded, sub-parallel, weakly serrated. Eyes about 0.3 times as long as head. Ocelli relatively small; posterior separated from eyes, 22µm apart from each other in holotype. Postocular setae shorter than eyes, expanded; 81µm apart from each other, 12–13µm apart from eyes in holotype. Antennae ( Fig. 210 View FIGURES 204–210 ) about 1.9 times as long as head; segment VIII weakly constricted at base, narrowly joined to segment VII, about three-fourths of VII; segments III and IV subequal in length, longer than VII; segments III and IV with two (1+1) and four (2+2 +1) sense cones respectively, but segment III often with three (1+2) (e.g. holotype female has one large outer sense cones on right antennal segment III, but has two rather small outer sense cones on the left). Maxillary stylets retracted to postocular setae, narrowly V-shaped; maxillary bridge weak, about two-fifths of head width. Pronotum ( Fig. 204 View FIGURES 204–210 ) about 0.7 times as long as head, about 1.6 times as wide as long, 1.59 times in holotype; almost smooth, very weakly sculptured posteriorly; five pairs of prothoracic setae expanded; ml and pa subequal in length, longer than aa; epim the longest. Prospinasternum ( Fig. 205 View FIGURES 204–210 ) irregularly shaped, about 25µm wide; mesopresternum complete, boat-shaped. Mesonotal lateral setae well developed, expanded, usually about 20µm long, but right one reduced in holotype. Metanotum ( Fig. 206 View FIGURES 204–210 ) sculptured with longitudinal reticulation; median pair of setae pointed, about 20µm, distance between both median setae much wider than distance between that seta and anterior margin of metanotum, 43µm apart from each other, 28–30µm apart from anterior margin in holotype. Fore tarsus with a tooth ( Fig. 208 View FIGURES 204–210 ). Fore wing with 1–4 duplicated cilia, with 1 cilium in holotype; three sub-basal setae expanded, S2 longer than S1, S3 the longest. Pelta ( Fig. 207 View FIGURES 204–210 ) triangular or trapezoid with irregular lateral margins, 1.4–1.5 times as wide as long, 1.46 times in holotype. Tergites III – VIII S2 setae: III – VI expanded, VII sharply pointed, VIII blunt or very weakly expanded. Tergite IX S1 setae blunt, or very weakly expanded, shorter than tube, S2 finely 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 times as long as tube .

Measurements (holotype female in µm). Body length 1650 (distended). Head length 165, from anterior margin of eyes 151, width across eyes 120, maximum width across cheeks 128, minimum width across base 116; eyes length 52; diameter of posterior ocelli 8–11; postocular setae 40. Maxillary bridge width 53. Antenna total length 310, segments III–VIII length (width) as follows: 42 (25), 42 (28), 38 (23), 38 (22), 36 (19), 27 (11). Pronotum length 115, width 183. Setae on prothorax: am 18, aa 22, ml 32–35, pa 35, epim 33–38. Fore wing length 600. Sub-basal wing setae: S1 27 –28, S2 33 –35, S3 42 –43. Pelta length 57, width 83. Tergite IX setae: S1 80–81, S2 105–107. Tube length 104, maximum width 50; terminal setae 125–127.

Male (macroptera). Distended body length: 1.1–1.3mm. Very similar to macropterous female in color and structure. Fore wing with 0–3 duplicated cilia.

Measurements (paratype male in µm). Body length 1260 (distended). Head length 150, from anterior margin of eyes 135, width across eyes 111, maximum width across cheeks 116, minimum width across base 100; eyes length 46; diameter of posterior ocelli 8–10; postocular setae 35–37. Maxillary bridge width 53. Antenna total length 280, segments III–VIII length as follows: 38, 40, 35, 35, 32, 26. Pronotum length 98, width 150. Setae on prothorax: am 15–17, aa about 20, ml 30, pa 30–32, epim 30–32. Fore wing length 500. Sub-basal wing setae: S1 25 –28, S2 30 –32, S3 37 –38. Pelta length 42, width 69. Tergite IX setae: S1 56 –60, S2 20. Tube length 80, maximum width 41; terminal setae 125.

Type material. Holotype: macropterous female, Borneo, Sabah, about 3km N from Kundasang , on dead leaves and branches, 6.ix.1990, TN & SO . Paratypes: Borneo, 4 females and 3 males, collected together with holotype ; 3 females and 1 male, data very similar to holotype, but collected from moss, 7.ix.1990.

Comments. This species is described from Sabah, Borneo, based on eight females and four males collected from dead leafy branches or mosses, and the feeding-habit is uncertain. It is included in the pictipes -group, and somewhat similar to N. apoae sp. nov. from Mindanao, the Philippines. However, these two species can be distinguished by the key above. The antennal segment III of kundasangi is wholly yellow in contrast to the remaining segments that are brown, and is somewhat similar to N. kurandae comb. nov. from Australia.