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
Shull
Scirtothrips
Shull, 1909
: 222
.
Type
species
S. ruthveni
Shull
, by monotypy.
Labiothrips
Bhatti & Mound, 1994
: 162
.
Type
species
L. tenor
Mound & Bhatti
, by monotypy.
Syn. n.
In describing the genus
Labiothrips
, the authors emphasised the unusually elongate mouth cone of the only known species, also the head of females with the occipital ridge almost confluent with posterior margin of the compound eyes. Because of these character states, the species was not compared to any member of the genus
Scirtothrips
. Moreover, at the time of that description the male of the species was not known. However, the males are now known to have the mouth cone rather shorter than that of females, and the postocular region distinctly longer. Moreover, the males have drepanae on the ninth tergite, as is common among
Scirtothrips
species. Given the variation in mouth cone length among the species of
Scirtothrips
recorded here, as well as the variation in other character states, there seems little point in segregating this one species to a separate genus. This is discussed further under
S. tenor
below.
Anascirtothrips
is another closely related genus (Mound & Wang, 2000), but the three known species all have a fringe of microtrichia on the sternites and the posterolateral setae on the mesonotum are close to the median setae. The second antennal segment lacks microtrichia (Mound & Wang, 2000), in contrast to
Scirtothrips
species, but the pronotum of some of the new species described below has setae on the posterior half in contrast to most members of the genus worldwide.