Sophiothrips typicus (Ananthakrishnan, 1964)

Goldarazena, Arturo & Michel, Bruno, 2022, New records of Phlaeothripinae from New Caledonia, with the description of a new species of Adraneothrips Hood (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripidae), Zootaxa 5094 (1), pp. 169-176 : 174-176

Sophiothrips typicus (Ananthakrishnan, 1964)

( Fig. 18 )

Specimens examined. New Caledonia, Mont Nondoué , 4 females, 1 male collected by fogging in sclerophyll forest at alt. 110 m, 03.vii.1992, Chazeau et al. (JBOU3522 to JBOU3526) .

Additional specimens examined. India, Madras (13°06’11”N 80°11’32”E), Decayed twig, 2 females (MNH #292), 1 male (MNHN) 26.vii.1969 ; Tirupathi (13°38’01”N 79°25’05”E), dry twig, 1 male (NHM # 292) 31.vii.1969 ; Kulatupuzha (08°54’39”N 77°03’40”E), on Areca sheath, 1 female (MHNH) 25.i.1967 .

Comments. The specimens collected in New Caledonia are characterized by having the head, thorax and first abdominal tergite brown, abdominal tergites II–X yellow with only the lateral fourths of segment III brown, lateral margin of segment VIII brown and apex of tube darker, all femora brown in basal two third, all tibiae with a brown patch medially, one outer sense cone and a basal sharp-edged ring on antennal segment III, a transverse pelta extending almost fully across tergite I, mesopresternum represented by pair of slender lateral triangles, female and male apterous with fore tarsal tooth. Male with a tubercle on tergite IX.

All specimens were run in the identification keys provided by Mound (1977) and Mound & Tree (2014b), and compared with specimens from NHM and MNHN. They match with the species Sophiothrips typicus (Ananthakrishnan) that can be classified within the breviceps species-group as defined by Mound & Walker (1982). The resemblance of S. typicus with Sophiothrips breviceps (Faure, 1938) is discussed by Mound (1977) who mentions a female of the latter species from South Africa with tibiae brown medially and the head brown, like the female from New Caledonia. But at present these two species continue to be considered distinct (ThripsWiki 2021).

S. typicus originally described from India, was later recorded from Taiwan and Indonesia ( Okajima 1987).

Figures

FIGURES 17–18. Habitus images (17) Leichhardtithrips evanidus, male; (18) Sophiothrips typicus, female.