Amalothrips bifurcus Li & Liu & Zhang 2021, sp.n

Amalothrips bifurcus sp.n. (Figs 1–5, 8, 11, 12) Female macroptera. Body pale except extreme tip of abdominal segment X brown (Fig. 1). Head wider than long, strongly projecting in front of eyes; ocellar setae I and II present, III arises outside of ocellar triangle; 2–3 pairs of postocular setae adjacent to eye margins (Fig. 2); mouth-cone short not reaching to middle of prosternum; maxillary palps 3-segmented; compound eyes with five pigmented ommatidia (Fig. 3); antennae 8-segmented, segment I without dorsoapical setae, segment II without rows of microtrichia, but with CPS at the apex, segments III and IV each with a forked sense cone (Fig. 12); III–VI with microtrichia on both dorsal and ventral sides (Fig. 8). Pronotum longer than wide, with transverse striae weak and about 24 discal setae; anteroangular margin sharply constricted, without anteroangular setae; posterior margin with one pair of posteroangular setae and five pairs of posteromarginal setae (Fig. 2). Mesonotum with a pair of anteromedian CPS, transverse striae weak medially, median setae arising ahead of posterior margin and submedian setae at posterior margin. Metanotum with a few transverse striae on anterior, with irregular longitudinal lines on median posterior areas, straight longitudinal lines laterally; median setae arising far behind anterior margin, submedian setae situated near to anterior margin, CPS present, but very small(Fig. 5). Ferna attaching at tip but divided; basantra degenerate without any setae (Fig. 3); both meso and metasternal endofurca without spinula. Fore wing first vein with 3 + 3 setae on basal half, 3 setae distally; second vein with 4 setae; clavus with five veinal setae, without discal setae; posteromarginal fringe cilia wavy (Fig. 11). Fore femora slightly enlarged; all tarsi 2-segmented. Abdominal tergites with irregular transverse striae across each segment; posterior margin with craspedum; tergite VIII posterior margin without fringe of microtrichia; tergite IX with two pairs of CPS; abdominal sternites with irregular transverse striae, II–VII with lobed posteromarginal craspeda, but reduced at middle of VII, II with 2 pairs of posteromarginal setae, but III–VII with 3 pairs, VII with S1 arising in front of the margin and interval of S1 setae much wider than distance to S2 setae (Fig. 4). Measurements (female in microns). Distended body length 1230; head length 85, width across cheeks 120; pronotum median length 172, width 144; metascutal median setae 11; fore wing length 652. Antennal length 652; segments III–VIII length as follows: 45, 46, 43, 48, 10, 11. Male. Unknown. Specimens studied. Holotype female, China, Yunnan, Malipo County, collected from Arundo donax [Arundiaceae], 20.v.2018 (Yanlan Xie). Paratype: one female collected with holotype. Etymology. Specific epithet from Latin “bifurcus”, in reference to antennal segments III–IV with sense cone forked. Comments. This new species is similar to noorazlani as follows: antennal segments uniformly pale; postocular setae I arising adjacent to posterior margin of eyes; basantra without pair of setae. However, the new species differs as follows: antennal segments III–IV with sense cone forked, metanotum CPS present, compound eyes with five pigmented ommatidia, ferna divided in the middle, and segment VII with S1 arising in front of the margin.
Published as part of Li, Yajin, Liu, Zhuocheng & Zhang, Hongrui, 2021, Rhamphothrips genus-group in China, with description of two new species and two new records (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), pp. 425-432 in Zootaxa 5039 (3) on page 426, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5039.3.7, http://zenodo.org/record/5511526