Thrips kurahashii, Mound, Laurence A., 2010

Mound, Laurence A., 2010, Species of the Genus Thrips (Thysanoptera, Thripidae) from the Afro-tropical Region, Zootaxa 2423, pp. 1-24 : 9-10

Thrips kurahashii sp.n.

Female macroptera. Colour of macerated, slide-mounted females yellow, with abdomen faintly shaded medially and antecostal ridges darker; antennal segments III–V darker in apical third, VI–VII light brown; forewings pale to weakly shaded. Antennae 7-segmented. Ocellar setae III small, shorter than distance between hind ocelli, just behind first ocellus and within or on margins of ocellar triangle ( Fig. 24 ). Pronotum transversely striate, with about 30 discal setae; anterior margin with about 5 pairs of setae, posterior margin with 3 (or 4) pairs between the posteroangular setae. Mesonotum without anterior campaniform sensilla ( Fig. 25 ). Metanotum closely striate laterally, with widely spaced transverse lines in front of median setae, sculpture varying posteromedially from closely striate to narrow elongate reticulation; campaniform sensilla absent ( Fig. 25 ). Forewing first vein with 6–9 setae on distal half; clavus with 5 (or 6) marginal setae. Abdominal tergites with a few sculpture lines extending to median setae and campaniform sensilla ( Fig. 26 ); tergite II with 3 lateral marginal setae; ctenidia present on V–VIII; comb on VIII long and slender; IX with no anterior campaniform sensilla ( Fig. 26 ); pleurotergites with no discal setae, with many rows of fine microtrichia ( Fig. 27 ). Sternites III–VII with 16–20 discal setae placed irregularly, on III–VI some of these are close to posterior margin; sternite II with about 3 discal setae.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 1270. Head, length 90; width across eyes 145; ocellar setae III 15. Pronotum, length 115; width 175; posteroangular setae 30, 35. Forewing length 750. Antennal segments III–VII length 45, 40, 32, 48, 15.

Male. Similar to female but smaller; pleurotergal microtrichia more irregular on sculpture lines; tergite VIII posteromarginal comb reduced to 5 long microtrichia medially, none laterally; tergite IX setal pairs S1 and S2 with bases arranged almost in straight line; sternites IV–V with slender, transverse pore plate.

Type material. Holotype female, SOUTH AFRICA, Cape Town, on Osteospermum barbersa (Asteraceae) , 14.viii.2002 (H. Kurahashi), in The Natural History Museum, London.

Paratypes: 1 female with same data as holotype, also 1 female with similar data except “on Compositae”, both in Plant Protection Collection, Yokahama, Japan; 1 female with similar data except “on Compositae”, and 1 male with similar data except “on Euryops abrotanifolius (Compositae) ”, in the Natural History Museum, London; also four series collected by Sverre Kobro from flowers, Cape Town, 4 females, 9.xi.2009; Arniston, 6 females, 10.xi.2009; Agulhas, 5 females, 1 male, 11.xi.2009; Galitzdorp, 3 females, 17.xi.2009, in N.H.M. London; Senckenberg Museum, Frankfurt; and ANIC Canberra.

Comments. The pleurotergal microtrichia of females of this species are rather similar to those of Thrips tabaci , a character state also shared with T. speratus , and to a lesser extent with some specimens of T. acaciae . However, although closely related to T. speratus , this new species is readily distinguished by the larger number of setae on the forewing first vein, and also by the other character states indicated in the key above. The specimens on which this description was initially based were collected in South Africa by H. Kurahashi, a quarantine officer from Japan, and kindly submitted for study by Kazushige Minoura of the Japanese Plant Protection service. Subsequently, Sverre Kobro sent further slides of the same species, and these are included here as paratypes. One of the four females he collected at Cape Town has on the metanotum a single campaniform sensillum, whereas all of the other available specimens lack such a structure on the metanotum.

Figures

FIGURES 24 – 30. Thrips species. kurahashii 24 – 27: (24) head & pronotum; (25) mesonotum & metanotum; (26) tergite VIII; (27) sternites V – VI. Thrips meruensis male 28 – 30: (28) head; (29) mesonotum & metanotum; (30) pronotum.