Leucothrips piercei (Morgan)

Masumoto, Masami & Okajima, Shûji, 2017, Studies on Dendrothripinae (Thysanoptera, Thripidae) from Japan, with new records and one new species, Zootaxa 4362 (3), pp. 405-420 : 411

Leucothrips piercei (Morgan)

( Figs 3 , 17–22 )

Microthrips piercei Morgan, 1913: 19 .

Female macroptera. Body and all legs uniformly pale ( Fig. 3 ); antennal segments I–III pale, IV–VI pale with apices shaded, VII pale brown; fore wing including clavus uniformly pale; major body setae pale. Head almost smooth, weakly sculptured behind ocellar triangle ( Fig. 17 ); compound eyes with six pigmented facets larger than remaining facets and several weakly pigmented facets. Antenna 7-segmented, segments III and IV with simple sensoria, segment VI with inner apical sensorium on ventral surface not reaching to middle of VII ( Fig. 18 ). Ratio of length/width of antennal segments I–VII as follows: 1.0, 1.1, 2.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.1, 5.5. Pronotum smooth between striae, about 8 discal setae; posteromarginal setae longer than discal setae, S4 longest and about twice as long as S1 setae, slightly longer than S3. Mesonotum smooth between striae. Metascutum sculptured with closely spaced longitudinal striae, closer than diameter of setal bases, smooth between striae ( Fig. 19 ). Fore wing costal vein with about 26 setae. Abdominal tergite I almost smooth, with small microtrichia on posterior margin; tergites II–VIII with anastomosing transverse striae having small microtrichia lateral to S2 setae and smooth medially; tergites II– VII with small microtrichia on posterior margin lateral to S2 setae and behind S1 setae; tergite IX with microtrichia on posterior third anterior to setae; tergite X with microtrichia on posterior half anterior to setae; sternite VII with S1 and S2 setae in front of posterior margin.

Male macroptera. General structure very similar to female, but smaller; abdominal tergite IX with small scallops at middle of anterior margin ( Fig. 22 ); tergite X with microtrichial rows medially and scallop-like sculpture near anterior margin.

Specimens examined. JAPAN: Ryukyus: Ishigaki-jima Is., on leaf of Phaseolus vulgaris [ Fabaceae ], 43 females & 5 males, 16.ii.2007, 16 females & 2 males, 23.ii.2007, T. Ando (TUA). Ishigaki-jima Is., Omoto, 25 females & 1 male on leaf of Phaseolus vulgaris , 26.ii.2007, Y. Kobashigawa & N. Youmoto (TUA). Kume-jima, Gushikawa, 5 females on leaf of Chrysanthemum morifolium [ Asteraceae ], 9.xi.2009, T. Kikumura & K. Kijima (TUA).

Comments. Recently L. piercei was recorded from Argentina, and damage to the leaves of pepper ( Capsicum annuum ) by this species was recognised for the first time ( Zamar et al. 2014). In Okinawa, however, damage to crops is apparently not conspicuous.

Figures

FIGURES 1–10. Japanese species of Dendrothripinae. Leucothrips, female 1–3. (1) L. furcatus; (2) L. nigripennis; (3) L. piercei. Pseudodendrothrips, 4–10; (4) P.bhattii, female; (5) P.darci, female; (6) P.lateralis, female; (7) P.lateralis, male:(8) P. maculatus, female; (9) P.maculatus, male; (10) P.mori, female.

FIGURES 17–22. Leucothrips piercei. Female 17–21. (17) Head & pronotum; (18) Antennal segments III–VII; (19) Mesonotum& metascutum;(20) Metathorax (sculpture omitted;mediandotted line shows furca); (21) Hindtibia totarsus.(22) Abdominal tergites IX–X, male.epm=epimeron; epst=episternum; prepst=pre-episternum.