Kenyattathrips

Mound, Laurence A., 2009, A new genus and species of Scirtothrips genus-group (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) from Kenya, intercepted by Australian quarantine, Zootaxa 2210, pp. 65-68 : 65-67

Kenyattathrips gen n.

Antennae 7-segmented, segments III and IV with sensorium forked ( Fig. 3 ); segment II with inner dorsal apical seta very long ( Fig. 1 ). Head with ocellar setae I long, arising far forward on broad inter-antennal projection; compound eyes with no pigmented facets; vertex closely striate; maxillary palps 3-segmented but segment I small ( Fig. 9 ). Pronotum with four pairs of posteromarginal setae ( Fig. 2 ), pair I arising sub-marginally, II and III very long, IV minute; anteromarginal setae very long; discal area transversely striate, without discal setae. Mesonotal sub-median setae arise anterior to median pair ( Fig. 4 ). Metanotum weakly reticulate medially, median setae not at anterior margin. Prosternal ferna almost complete; prospinasternum small ( Fig. 9 ); mesosternopleural sutures absent; meso and metasternal endofurca with prominent spinula. Forewing first vein with about 5 basal and 2 distal setae, second vein with 7 to 8 setae ( Fig. 8 ); clavus with 3 veinal but no discal setae ( Fig. 4 ); posteromarginal cilia wavy. Tergite I medially with pair of campaniform sensilla and one pair of minute setae, no microtrichia laterally; tergites II–VI with S1 longer than distance between their bases, regular rows of microtrichia on lateral thirds ( Fig. 7 ); tergites VII–VIII with setae S1 longer and further apart, posterior margins of VII and VIII with complete comb ( Fig. 5 ); IX with many microtrichia on posterior half, no campaniform sensilla; tergite X with no median split nor microtrichia. Sternites transversely reticulate, with no microtrichia; marginal setae arise in front of margin on V–VII; pleurotergites and pleurosternites not developed as independent sclerites (Figs 6,10). Male smaller than female, abdomen without drepanae on tergite IX, and without sternal pore plates. Larva II with many dorsal setae capitate ( Figs 11, 12 ).

Type-species. Kenyattathrips katarinae sp.n.

Relationships. The Scirtothrips genus-group comprises ten genera. Of these, Scirtothrips includes 100 species worldwide ( Hoddle & Mound, 2003), Anascirtothrips includes four Asian species that are associated with the leaves of Ficus ( Masumoto & Okajima, 2007) , Cercyothrips includes two Neotropical species ( Mound & Marullo, 1996), but the other seven genera each comprise a single species. These are Biltothrips and Siamothrips from the Oriental region, Parascirtothrips from Honshu in Japan, Scirtidothrips from the Neotropical region, Ephedrothrips from Morocco, Kenyattathrips from Kenya, and Sericopsothrips that is known only from one female taken in New York. The character states that are shared by these members of the Scirtothrips genus-group are listed by Masumoto & Okajima (2007).

Kenyattathrips shares most of these character states, although the pronotum bears two pairs of long posteromarginal setae and one pair of long anteromarginal setae ( Fig. 2 ), and the forewing second vein has an almost continuous row of setae ( Fig. 8 ).

Species in the Scirtothrips genus-group usually lack long setae on the pronotum, although both Scirtidothrips and Sericopsothrips are described as having one pair of long posteromarginal setae, and several species of Scirtothrips have one pair moderately developed. No other member of this genus-group has a pair of long setae on the anterior margin of the pronotum, nor such long posteromarginals, and most other species in the group have 8-segmented antennae. Kenyattathrips is remarkable for the exceptionally long seta at the inner apex of the second antennal segment, the long ocellar setae pair I placed far forward on the inter-antennal projection, the anterior position of the sub-median setae on the mesonotum, the presence of a complete marginal comb on tergites VII and VIII, the lack of a discal seta on the forewing clavus, and the almost complete row of setae on the second vein.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Kenyattathrips katarinae. (1) Head. (2) Pronotum. (3) Antennal segments III – VII. (4) Mesonotum, metanotum and forewing clavus. (5) Tergites VII – IX. (6) Tergite V. (7) Tergites I – III (8) Forewing.

FIGURES 9 – 12. Kenyattathrips katarinae. (9) Meso and metasterna. (10) Sternites VI – VII (11) Larva II head. (12) Larva II abdomen.