Scirtothrips litotes, Hoddle, Mark S. & Mound, Laurence A., 2003

Hoddle, Mark S. & Mound, Laurence A., 2003, The genus Scirtothrips in Australia (Insecta, Thysanoptera, Thripidae), Zootaxa 268, pp. 1-40 : 24-25

Scirtothrips litotes sp. nov.

[ Figs 15 , 48 ]

Female macroptera. Colour: Light brown, tergites paler laterally, mesonotum pale on posterior half; antecostal ridges on tergites III­VIII dark across full width of segments, on sternites III­VII shaded full width of segments; forewings uniformly deeply shaded; antennal segment I pale, II dark, segments III­V dark with base paler, VI – VIII uniformly dark.

Structure: Head slightly wider than long, mouth cone long but projecting ventrally; vertex with transversely anastomosing striae, ocellar region reticulate; bases of ocellar setae pair III separated approximately by the length of these setae, arising anterior to tangent between anterior margins of posterior ocelli; two pairs of post­ocular setae approximately 0.75 as long as ocellar setae pair III. Pronotum with transverse striae irregular and widely separated; with 2 pairs of anteromarginal setae, 9­11 discal setae; 4 pairs of posteromarginal setae, S2 about three times the length of S1, S3 subequal to S1. Metanotal reticulation almost equiangular, median setae on anterior margin. Forewing scale with 3­4 marginal setae; first vein setae 2­7+1­7+1­3+1+0­1+0­1; second vein 3­4 setae; posteromarginal fringe cilia wavy. Tergites III­V median setae long and widely spaced, distance between bases at least 2 times the length of these setae; tergal microtrichial fields with 3 discal setae; VII with posteromarginal comb extending mesad of discal seta II, usually complete medially; VIII with no discal microtrichia medially, posteromarginal comb complete; tergite IX with discal microtrichia scarcely visible. Sternal microtrichial fields weak, not extending mesad of marginal setae II.

Measurements of holotype female. Body length 1250. Head, length 85; width 140; p.o. S1 12. Pronotum, length 100; width 150; posteromarginal setae S1 10, S2 38. Forewing length 700. Antennal segments III – VI, 45, 45, 40, 45.

Male macroptera. Similar in colour and sculpture to female, but smaller; tergite VII without posteromarginal microtrichia; abdominal segment IX with pair of dark drepanae with acute apices curving dorsally; parameres each with rounded knob on external margin near base, aedeagus without spines.

Holotype Female. Queensland, Brisbane, from Lepidozamia peroffskyana [ Zamiaceae ], 2.xii.2000 (J. Hall). Paratypes: 19 females and 2 males collected with the holotype.

Comments. This species is unusual in the genus Scirtothrips in having the posteromarginal comb of microtrichia on tergite VII complete or almost complete, a character state that it shares only with S. helenae amongst the Australian species. Moreover, it has an unusually long mouth cone, although not as long as in the other Australian member of this genus that lives on cycads, S. tenor (Bhatti & Mound) . The native range of the cycad, L. peroffskyana , is south­eastern Queensland and north­eastern New South Wales, from the ranges north­west of Brisbane to the Manning River district. Typically it is found scattered through wet sclerophyll forests or on rainforest margins, but is cultivated as an ornamental in sub­tropical areas.

Figures

FIGURES 11 ­ 20. Scirtothrips heads and pronota. 11, frondis; 12, inermis; 13, kirrhos; 14, longipennis; 15, litotes; 16, moneres; 17, pilbara; 18, tenor; 19, quadriseta; 20, solus.

FIGURES 45 ­ 50. Scirtothrips abdominal tergites. 45, pilbara VI­VIII; 46, quadriseta VI­IX; 47, solus VI­IX; 48, litotes VI­IX; 49, tenor IV­VI; 50, frondis IV­VII.