The genus Scirtothrips in Australia (Insecta, Thysanoptera, Thripidae)
Author
Hoddle, Mark S.
Author
Mound, Laurence A.
text
Zootaxa
2003
268
1
40
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.157021
161551bf-ef8c-4d6a-abe5-38226f776208
11755326
157021
Scirtothrips tenor
(Bhatti & Mound)
comb. nov.
[
Figs 18
,
49
,
62
]
Labiothrips tenor
Bhatti & Mound, 1994
: 163
.
This species was described from specimens collected in a water trap at Port Moresby,
Papua New Guinea
, but has been found commonly in the Northern Territory around Darwin and on Bathurst
Island
breeding on the young flush leaves of
Cycas armstrongi
[
Cycadaceae
] as well as on cultivated specimens of
Cycas revoluta
at Darwin and at Burpengary in Queensland. Although described as the
type
species of the monotypic genus
Labiothrips
, the species fits within the pattern of variation of Australian
Scirtothrips
discussed here. The mouth cone is unusually elongate, and in life it is directed posteriorly rather than ventrally as in other
Scirtothrips
species. However, its length is no greater than that of
S. drepanofortis
described above, nor of
S. muscoaffinis
Johansen and Mojica
described from
Mexico
, and it is not a great deal longer than found in
S. litotes
and
S. pilbara
described above. Presumably associated in some way with the orientation of the mouth cone, the vertex of the females of
S. tenor
is exceptionally short, with the posterior margin of the head almost confluent with the posterior margin of the eyes. However, in males the length of the vertex is at least equal to the width of one ommatidium. The pronotum has four pairs of posteromarginal setae, none longer than 15 microns, but several of the new species described here have similar short setae. However, the striae on the head and pronotum are weaker than on typical
Scirtothrips
species, and the postocular region of the head in females is exceptionally short.
As
in
S. moneres
, the microtrichia are reduced on the anterior lines of sculpture on each tergite, and the sternal microtrichial fields are much reduced scarcely extending mesad of setae S3. The number of sternal posteromarginal setae is not constant, several specimens having been examined with four instead of three setae on more than one sternite. The males have a pair of curved drepanae on the ninth tergite, but the aedeagus does not have an array of spines. The second instar larvae have broadly capitate setae on the pronotum (
Fig. 62
).