Neandrothrips japonicus, Okajima & Masumoto, 2025

Neandrothrips japonicus sp. nov.

( Figs 177 View FIGURES 177–186 , 187–193 View FIGURES 187–193 )

Female (macroptera). Distended body length: about 1.8mm. Body dark brown ( Fig. 177 View FIGURES 177–186 ). Femora dark brown; tibiae brown, mid and hind tibiae with bases and apices slightly paler; tarsi yellowish. Antennae largely brown, segment III pale brown, with basal one-third yellowish, segment IV with extreme base paler. Fore wings and major body setae pale. Head ( Fig. 187 View FIGURES 187–193 ) longer than wide, 1.37 times as long as wide; dorsal surface almost smooth, distinctly sculptured with transverse striae near base. Cheeks weakly rounded, gradually narrowed to base, anterior end shortly overlapping with eyes, very weakly serrated. Eyes 0.26 times as long as head. Ocelli relatively small; posterior pair scarcely separated from eyes, 32µm apart from each other. Postocular setae almost as long as eyes, pointed; 97µm apart from each other, 8µm apart from eyes. Antennae ( Fig. 193 View FIGURES 187–193 ) about 1.7 times as long as head; segment VIII weakly constricted at base, narrowly joined to segment VII, about 0.7 times as long as VII; segments III, IV and V subequal in length, longer than VII; segments III with two (1+1) sense cones, segment IV with two major and two small (1 ++11+1) sense cones, one small sense cone situated usual position of outer margin of the segment, the other situated inside of outer major sense cone on dorsal surface near anterior margin. Maxillary stylets scarcely retracted to postocular setae, sub-parallel at middle, their distance about one-quarter of head width; maxillary bridge distinct. Pronotum ( Fig. 187 View FIGURES 187–193 ) 0.64 times as long as head, 1.43 times as wide as long; almost smooth; four pairs of prothoracic setae relatively short, pointed; epim expanded, a little shorter than postocular setae. Prospinasternum ( Fig. 188 View FIGURES 187–193 ) largely developed, rhombus, 45µm wide; mesopresternum narrowly boat-shaped. Mesonotal lateral setae pointed. Metanotum ( Fig. 189 View FIGURES 187–193 ) very weakly sculptured with reticulation; median pair of setae finely pointed, shorter than 20µm, 48µm apart from each other, 35–38µm apart from anterior margin. Fore tarsal tooth small ( Fig. 191 View FIGURES 187–193 ). Fore wing with 3–5 duplicated cilia; sub-basal setae S1 expanded, S2 blunt or bluntly pointed, S3 pointed. Pelta ( Fig. 190 View FIGURES 187–193 ) trapezoid, with irregular lateral margins, 1.45 times as wide as long. Tergites II–VIII S1 setae blunt or bluntly pointed. Tergites III–VIII S2 setae sharply pointed. Tergite IX S1 and S2 setae sharply pointed, S1 a little longer than tube, S2 longer than S1; intermediate setae shorter than half of Sl. Tube ( Fig. 192 View FIGURES 187–193 ) 0.54 times as long as head, about 2.0 times as long as wide; terminal setae about 1.6 times as long as tube.

Measurements (holotype female in µm). Body length 1780 (distended). Head length 190, from anterior margin of eyes 175, width across eyes 130, maximum width across cheeks 139, minimum width across base 113; eyes length 50; diameter of posterior ocelli 10–13; postocular setae about 50. Maxillary bridge width 40. Antenna total length 320, segments III–VIII length (width) as follows: 42 (26), 42 (27), 42 (26), 38 (22), 38 (22), 26 (10). Pronotum length 121, width 173. Setae on prothorax: am 17–23, aa?, ml?25, pa 35–37, epim 43–45. Fore wing length 630. Sub-basal wing setae: S1 30 –32, S2 37 –38, S3 32 –35. Pelta length 58, width 84. Tergite IX setae: S1 108–113, S2 122–123. Tube length 102, maximum width 50; terminal setae 165.

Male. Unknown.

Type material. Holotype: macropterous female, Japan, Honshu , Daibosatsu-toge, Hikawa Rindou, on dead branches, 28.v.1983, SO.

Comments. This species is described from the cool temperate region of Honshu, Japan, based on a unique holotype female taken from dead branches of a deciduous broad leaf tree. It is included in the bamboosae -group and may be closely related to N. bamboosae also from Japan and N. simulans from a somewhat wider range of Southeast Asia. These three species have one small sense cone in addition to two major sense cones on the antennal segment IV, which is situated inside of the outer major sense cone on dorsal surface near anterior margin of the segment. However, japonicus has an additional small sense cone at outer margin of the segment, though this is absent in bamboosae and simulans .