Merothrips floridensis Watson, 1927

Ng, Y. F. & Mound, L. A., 2018, Merothripidae from Malaysia: Merothrips with one new species and two new species records, Zootaxa 4407 (3), pp. 447-450 : 447

Merothrips floridensis Watson ( Figs 1–4 )

Female macroptera or aptera. Body pale, except head brown; all legs and fore wings pale; all antennal segments brown, except segment II pale. Head longer than wide; ocellar setae III situated in front of hind ocellus, long and setaceous; pronotum trapezoidal, largely smooth but posterior area with a few striate lines, one pair of long posteroangular setae; mesonotum and metanotum with sculpture lines; mesosternum and metasternum endofurca with spinula; all tergites with transverse sculpture lines, tergite X with large trichobothria.

Males are apterous and exhibit enlarged fore legs, sometimes with pointed tubercle at inner apex of tibia.

Comments. This species is widely recorded around the world (Mound & O’Neill 1974), having been seen from many sites in North and South America, Hawaii, Japan, Australia, southern Africa, and southern Europe.

Specimens examined: Peninsular Malaysia, Selangor, Cyberjaya, 1 female macroptera 28.xii.2013 (Ng, Y.F.); Peninsular Malaysia, Pahang, Tasik Chini, 1 female macroptera 12.v.2014 (Ng, Y.F.) (in CISUKM)

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Merothrips species. M. floridensis (female) 1–4: (1) head & pronotum; (2) meso & metanotum; (3) antenna; (4) abdominal segments VIII–X.M.morgani (male)5–6:(5)head & pronotum; (6)fore leg (right).