Thrips extensicornis Priesner

Mound, Laurence A. & Masumoto, Masami, 2005, The genus Thrips (Thysanoptera, Thripidae) in Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand, Zootaxa 1020 (1), pp. 1-64 : 24-26

Thrips extensicornis Priesner

Thrips extensicornis Priesner, 1934: 276

Diagnosis: Body brown, legs yellow with light brown shadings; antennal segment III mainly yellow; forewings brown with base pale. Antennae 7­segmented; ocellar setae III arise behind first ocellus within ocellar triangle, ocellar region with transverse lines; postocular setae II minute ( Fig. 26 ). Pronotum with transverse markings, posterior sub­marginal apodeme sometimes strong ( Fig. 26 ). Metanotum reticulate, some anterior reticles with internal markings ( Fig. 27 ), median setae behind anterior margin, campaniform sensilla absent. Forewing first vein with 3 setae on distal half. Abdominal tergite II with 3 (or 4) lateral margin setae; tergite VIII with no comb; sternites III–VI usually with one pair of discal setae laterally ( Fig. 29 ), but one or both of these setae may be absent on one or all of the sternites, VII with no discal setae.

Male yellow, sternites III–VII with transverse glandular area but no discal setae.

Breeding: A flower­living species, this thrips appears to be associated with strongly scented white flowers such as those of Gardenia and Pavetta (Rubiaceae) , and also Glossocarya hemiderma (Verbenaceae) .

Distribution: Known from Taiwan and the Philippines to Java and the Riau islands, this species has been taken at Cairns in northern Queensland, and at Darwin and Kakadu in Northern Territory.

Relationships: One of the twelve members of the Thrips orientalis group ( Mound 2005), this species has the metanotum boldly reticulate but with very few markings internal to the reticles, unlike the related species.

Figures

FIGURES 26–37. Thrips species. T. extensicornis 26–29: (26) Head & pronotum; (27) Meso­metanota; (28) Tergites VI–VIII; (29) Sternites VI–VII. T. florum 30–32: (30) Meso­metanota; (31) Head; (32) Forewing clavus. T. hawaiiensis 33–35: (33) Meso­metanota; (34) Head; (35) Forewing clavus. T. hoddlei 36–37: (36) Head & pronotum; (37) Meso­metanota.