Haplothrips leucanthemi (Schrank)

Mound, Laurence A. & Minaei, Kambiz, 2007, Australian thrips of the Haplothrips lineage (Insecta: Thysanoptera), Journal of Natural History 41 (45 - 48), pp. 2919-2978 : 2958-2959

Haplothrips leucanthemi (Schrank)

Thrips leucanthemi Schrank 1781, p 298 .

Phloeothrips nigra Osborn 1883, p 154 .

Much of the European literature refers to this species under two separate names: Haplothrips niger from red clover flowers ( Trifolium ), and H. leucanthemi from ox-eye daisy flowers ( Chrysanthemum leucanthemum ). However, the measurements given as discriminants by Priesner (1964), and also by Schliephake and Klimt (1979, p 254), overlap considerably without distinguishing two entities. All of the specimens identified as H. niger in Britain ( Morison 1949) were subsequently re-identified as H. leucanthemi ( Mound et al. 1976) because of the great variation in body size and setal lengths amongst specimens taken together in England in the same flowers. Mound and Walker (1986) pointed out that although H. niger is abundant in New Zealand in red clover flowers no males had been found. These authors therefore suggested that H. niger is a parthenogenetic form of H. leucanthemi that is specific to clover flowers. In Australia, only a few specimens of this species, all females, have been studied, collected near Sydney, Wagga, Melbourne, and Adelaide. The pseudovirga of males from C. leucanthemum flowers in England have the apex weakly swollen (Figure 31).

Recognition

Body colour brown to dark brown, fore tarsi and base of antennal segment III yellow; fore wing with base extensively shaded. Head slightly longer than wide, maxillary stylets onethird of head width apart, retracted to postocular setae, maxillary bridge complete; postocular setae acute, usually not reaching posterior margin of compound eyes ( Figure 51 ). Antennal segment III with two sensoria, IV with four sensoria. Pronotal setae small and acute, am and ml setae not longer than discals. Metanotum weakly reticulate medially, median setae arise on anterior half of sclerite. Mesopresternum eroded medially into two triangular sclerites. Fore tarsal tooth minute in female (large in large male). Fore wing with 7–12 duplicated cilia, sub-basal setae acute or blunt. Tergite IX setae S1 bluntly pointed, much shorter than tube, S2 acute.

Measurements of female (in M m) (South Australia, Adelaide, November 2000). Body length 1950. Head, length 194; median width 174; postocular setae 12. Pronotum, length 120; width 296; major setae am 8, aa 10, ml 10, epim 22, pa 22. Fore wing length 800; sub-basal setae 30, 34, 40. Tergite IX setae S1 62, S2 62, S3 76. Tube length 144; basal width 56; anal setae 116. Antennal segments III–VIII length 42, 46, 44, 40, 42, 32.

Figures

Figures 48–58. (48) Haplothrips howei holotype. (49) H. howei, male. (50) H. howei, pelta. (51) H. leucanthemi, head and pronotum. (52) H. lyndi, head and pronotum. (53) H. ordi, head and pronotum. (54) H. ordi, pelta. (55) H. salicorniae, head and pronotum. (56) H. timori, head and pronotum. (57) H. salicorniae, pelta. (58) H. timori, pelta.