Nesothrips minor (Bagnall, 1921: 287)

Eow, Li-Xin, 2014, Australian species of spore-feeding Thysanoptera in the genera Carientothrips and Nesothrips (Thysanoptera: Idolothripinae), Zootaxa 3821 (2), pp. 193-221 : 218

Nesothrips minor (Bagnall, 1921: 287)

( Fig. 52 )

Cryptothrips rhizophorae Girault, 1927: 2 . syn.n.

This species was described from Rodrigues in the Indian Ocean. Mound (1974b) treated brevicollis from Japan as a senior synonym of minor , but Okajima (1990, 2006) treated these two as distinct, with brevicollis known only from Japan, and minor widely distributed between Fiji and Hawaii in the Pacific through southern Japan, Indonesia and Malaysia to India and Rodrigues. In the present study, specimens have been examined from Mauritius, Cocos Keeling Islands, Java, Malaysia, East Timor, northern Australia, and Lord Howe Island. The shape of the tube, and the length of the tube relative to the head length, was found to be variable amongst these specimens. However, all of our specimens have the wing-retaining setae long and curved, and the posterior margin of the pelta entire. In contrast, Okajima (2006) indicates that brevicollis has the wing-retaining setae short and straight, and the posterior margin of the pelta slightly eroded medially. The specimen described by Girault as rhizophorae cannot be distinguished from the specimens here identified as minor .

Diagnosis. Macropterous, hemimacropterous and micropterous, body brown, abdomen darker, tube distal end paler; antennal segments I–III yellow, IV yellow with apex variably shaded brown, V brown with yellow pedicel, VI–VIII brown; mid and hind legs with femora shading from brown at base to yellow postero-distally, tibiae brown, tarsi yellow; fore wings light brown. Head as long as wide, not projecting in front of eyes; postocellar setae acute, on or close to tangent between posterior margin of hind ocelli ( Fig. 52 ); postocular setae acute to weakly blunt; eyes slightly smaller ventrally than dorsally; maxillary stylets widely spaced V-shaped; maxillary palp segment I as long as wide, segment II about 3 times as long as I. Pronotum with 5 pairs of major setae, am acute, remaining pairs stout and rather blunt, notopleural sutures complete; mesopresternum boat-shaped; metathoracic sternopleural sutures long and curved. Mesonotum anterior with small microtrichia on sculpture lines; metanotum reticulate with one pair of median setae. Pelta with broadly rounded median lobe and relatively flat lateral wings; tergites III–VII wing-retaining setae vary from sigmoid to curved, with one pair of discal setae medially; tergite IX setae acute, about 0.8 as long as tube, S3 longest. Major male with large pronotum, swollen fore femora, stout fore tarsal tooth ( Fig. 52 ).

Figures

FIGURES 47–55. Nesothrips species. Head: (47) lativentris, (48) badius, (49) barrowi, (50) coorongi, (51) propinquus, (52) minor major male, (53) carveri, (54) brigalowi, (55) rossi.