Tusothrips setiprivus (Karny)

Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2011, New records and four new species of Australian Thripidae (Thysanoptera) emphasise faunal relationships between northern Australia and Asia, Zootaxa 2764, pp. 35-48 : 47

Tusothrips setiprivus (Karny)

Mycterothrips setiprivus Karny, 1927: 200

This species was described from a single female taken in Coimbatore, India, and only one female, collected in West Bengal, has been recorded subsequently ( Bhatti, 1978a). The two females listed below were identified as T. setiprivus after comparison with the holotype at the Senckenberg Museum, Frankfurt, and these new records considerably extend the known range of the species. T. immaculatus Reyes was described from three females taken at Mindanao, Philippines ( Reyes, 1994). The description distinguished this by the presence of a few microtrichia laterally on the posterior margin of tergum VIII, and by the lack of a longitudinal split on tergum X. However, neither of these character states is adequately visible in the holotype of T. setiprivus because this is ventrally-mounted. The two females identified here as T. setiprivus have no microtrichia on the craspedum of tergum VIII, and there is a longitudinal split on tergum X. Recent examination of the holotype of T. immaculatus (in ANIC) has shown that tergum X has a similar dorsal longitudinal split, but that the posterior margin of tergum VIII bears two or three microtrichia on the craspedum near its lateral extremities. These two names possibly represent a single species, but the mouth cone of T. immaculatus appears to be considerably longer than that of T. setiprivus .

Material studied. Australia, Northern Territory, Coburg Peninsula, Smith Point, 1 female from dead twigs, 14.v.1999 (LAM 3698). Thailand, Chiang Mai Province, 1 female from Sida acuta , 6.viii.1999 (AD Wright).