Neandrothrips inermis, Okajima & Masumoto, 2025

Neandrothrips inermis sp. nov.

( Figs 111 View FIGURES 102–111 , 169–176 View FIGURES 169–176 )

Female (macroptera). Distended body length: 1.5–1.7mm. Body brown ( Fig. 111 View FIGURES 102–111 ). Femora brown, with apices yellowish; tibiae shaded with brown, with base paler, mid and hind tibiae shaded with brown, with bases and apices yellowish; tarsi yellow. Antennal segments I– II and VII – VIII brown; segments III – VI pale brown to brown, gradually darkened distally. Fore wing scarcely shaded with brown. Major body setae pale. Head ( Fig. 169 View FIGURES 169–176 ) longer than wide, 1.25–1.36 times as long as wide, 1.35 times in holotype, widest across cheeks at middle, dorsal surface almost smooth at anterior half, very weakly sculptured with transverse striae at posterior half, but sculptured distinctly with transverse reticulation at base. Cheeks weakly rounded, weakly serrate. Postocular setae shorter than eyes, expanded, 97µm apart from each other, 14–15µm apart from eyes in holotype. Eyes about 1/3 of head length, 0.36 times as long as head in holotype. Ocelli normal; posterior pair scarcely separated from eyes, 25µm apart from each other. Antennae ( Fig. 176 View FIGURES 169–176 ) 1.74 times as long as head; segment VIII weakly constricted at extreme base, narrowly joined to segment VII, 0.74 times as long as VII in holotype; segment III a little shorter than segment IV, longer than segment VII; segments III and IV with two (1+1) and three (1+2 +1) sense-cones respectively. Maxillary stylets scarcely reaching postocular setae, wider apart, V-shaped; maxillary bridge very wide, much wider than 1/2 of head width, 0.57 times as wide as head in holotype. Pronotum ( Fig. 169 View FIGURES 169–176 ) about 0.6 times as long as head, or a little longer, 0.64 times as long as head in holotype, about 1.5 times as wide as long, almost smooth; five pairs of major setae expanded; aa and am subequal in length, epim much longer than pa, the longest, longer than postoculars. Mesopresternum ( Fig. 170 View FIGURES 169–176 ) complete; prospinasternum well developed, almost inverted triangle, about 35µm wide in holotype. Mesonotal lateral setae developed, about 20µm long, expanded. Metanotum ( Fig. 171 View FIGURES 169–176 ) very weakly sculptured with polygonal reticulation; median pair of setae finely pointed, shorter than 25µm in length, 47µm apart from each other, 24–28µm apart from anterior margin in holotype. Fore tarsus unarmed ( Fig. 173 View FIGURES 169–176 ). Fore wing with 4–5 duplicated cilia; three sub-basal setae expanded, S2 longer than S1, S3 the longest. Pelta ( Fig. 172 View FIGURES 169–176 ) triangle or trapezoid, with irregular lateral margins, sculptured weakly, 1.26 times as wide as long in holotype. S1 setae on intermediate abdominal tergites elongate, those on tergite VI and VII almost as long as S1 on tergite IX or longer. Tergites III – VIII S2 setae: III – VI expanded, but those on tergites VI often very weakly expanded, VII pointed, VIII bluntly pointed. Tergite IX S1 and S2 setae pointed, S1 shorter than tube, S2 a little longer than tube; intermediate setae about half of S1. Tube ( Fig. 175 View FIGURES 169–176 ) about 0.5 times as long as head, about 1.8 times as long as wide. Terminal setae about 1.2 times as long as tube .

Measurements (holotype female in µm). Body length about 1700 (distended). Head length 176, from anterior margin of eyes 157, width across eyes 126, maximum width across cheeks 130, minimum width across base 111; eyes length 63; diameter of posterior ocelli 11–14; postocular setae 38–40. Maxillary bridge width 74. Antenna total length 307, segments III–VIII length (width) as follows: 42 (24), 44 (26), 40 (23), 38 (21), 38 (20), 28 (11). Pronotum length 113, width 173. Setae on prothorax: am 22–25, aa 23, ml?30, pa 33–34, epim about 50. Fore wing length 650. Sub-basal wing setae: S1 30, S2 40, S3 48 –50. Pelta length 68, width 86. Setae on tergite VIII: S1 85–86. Tergite IX setae: S1 80, S2 96–106. Tube length 90, maximum width 50; terminal setae 110–112.

Male (macroptera). Distended body length: 1.05–1.25mm. Very similar to macropterous female in color and structure, but much smaller; does not show allometric growth. Head about 1.2 times as long as wide.

Measurements (paratype male in µm). Body length 1180 (distended). Head length 137, from anterior margin of eyes 128, width across eyes 110, maximum width across cheeks 113, minimum width across base 97; eyes length 50; diameter of posterior ocelli 10–12; postocular setae 28–30. Maxillary bridge width 65. Antenna total length 267, segments III–VIII length as follows: 34, 35, 36, 34, 33, 25. Pronotum length 92, width 142. Setae on prothorax: am 23, aa about 20, ml 25, pa 28, epim 38–40. Fore wing length 470. Sub-basal wing setae: S1 23 –24, S2 30, S3 36. Pelta length 47, width 60. Tergite IX setae: S1 60 –65, S2 28. Tube length 70, maximum width 41; terminal setae 97.

Type material. Holotype: macropterous female, Indonesia, Flores, Ngada , Wolobobo, 1440m alt., habitat uncertain, 28.viii.2006, SO . Paratypes: Indonesia, Flores, 2 females and 2 males, collected together with holotype ; 1 female, same locality as holotype , on grass, 29.viii.2006, SO; 8 females and 4 males, Ngada, Bajawa, Donatana, 386m alt., on dead branches, 29.viii.2006, SO; 1 female and 1 male, Ngada, Bajawa, Wolomeli, 720m alt., 28.viii.2006, SO; 5 females and 2 males, Nduaria, on dead branches, 22.viii.2006, SO; 2 females and 1 male, Ende, Wolosoko, 655m alt., 22.viii.2006, SO; 6 females and 6 males, Ende, Komandaru, on dead branches, 23.viii.2006, SO; 1 male, Manggarai, Mano, 1265m alt., coffee leaves, 25.viii.2006, SO; 1 female, Manggarai, Gololoni, 1225m alt., 26.viii.2006, SO.

Comments. This species is described from Flores Is., Indonesia, based on a good series of females and males, and seems likely to be a fungus-feeder, because most specimens were taken from dead branches. It is very similar to two species, N. ommatocellus sp. nov. from Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia and N. subinermis sp. nov. from Bali, Indonesia in having the fore tarsi unarmed, and these three species are included in the inermis -group. They cannot be distinguished satisfactorily from the pictipes -group by most structures other than the absence of the fore tarsal tooth. N. inermis is most similar to ommatocellus in having three major sense cones on antennal segment IV, and these two can be distinguished by the key above.