Anaphothrips graminum Priesner, 1936

Minaei, Kambiz, 2018, Wing polymorphism in Anaphothrips graminum (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), Zootaxa 4450 (5), pp. 597-600 : 597-600

Anaphothrips graminum Priesner

Anaphothrips graminum Priesner, 1935: 313 .

Described originally from three specimens (one female, two males) collected in Cyprus without any host record but presumably from grasses, this species is recorded by zur Strassen (2003) from Cyprus, Turkey, Greece, Madeira, Canary Island, Cape Verde islands and Yemen, living on various Poaceae . Here the micropterous morphs of both sexes as well as macropterous females of this species are recorded from Iran. The identification is based on the key to species provided by zur Strassen (2003). The specimens discussed here agree with the descriptive details provided by that author, except that in couplet 4 of that key there is a statement that the male sternite VIII lacks a pore plate, whereas the males considered here are unusual in having a pore plate on the eighth sternite.

Female microptera . Body and legs yellow ( Fig. 1 ); head variably shaded, antennal segments I–V variable from pale to brown ( Figs 8–9 ); antennal segments VI–VIII as well as tergites IX–X brown. Head slightly wider than long; not reticulate behind eyes; ocelli present, ocellar setae III almost on margins of triangle anterior to hind ocelli ( Fig. 10 ); eyes with 6 pigmented facets ventrolaterally. Antennae 8-segmented; II with short microtrichia on transverse lines; III and IV with forked sense cones; VI with short pedicel ( Figs 8–9 ). Pronotum with weakly sculpture markings ( Fig. 10 ). Fore wing lobe shorter than width of mesonotum. Mesonotum with few transverse lines, paired campaniform sensilla present anteromedially. Metascutum irregularly reticulate, median setae well posterior to anterior margin, campaniform sensilla present (rarely absent) ( Fig. 4 ). Abdominal tergites with weak reticulate sculpture medially, laterally with weak dentate microtrichia ( Fig. 11 ); median setae on tergites shorter than distance between their bases, VIII posterior margin with comb of microtrichia ( Fig. 11 ), mid-dorsal setae on IX short. Sternites with dentate microtrichia laterally on sculpture lines ( Fig. 12 ).

Measurements (in microns). Body length 1073. Head, length 100; width across eyes 110. Pronotum, length 95; maximum width 130. Fore wing, length 66. Tergite IV S1 setae 8. Tergite IX, mid-dorsal setae 12; Antennal segments I– VIII, 14, 21, 28, 26, 30, 40, 7, 12.

Female macroptera. Similar to microptera in color and structure but slightly larger and abdomen almost uniformly pale ( Fig. 2 ). The reticulation on metanotum is more developed in comparison with micropterous morph ( Fig. 5 ).

Measurements (in microns). Body length 1125. Head, length 100; width across eyes 104. Pronotum, length 102; maximum width 140. Fore wing, length 585; median width 35. Tergite IV S1 setae 5. Tergite IX, S1 setae 67, S2 80, middorsal setae 11. Antennal segments I–VIII, 11, 25, 27, 25, 24, 35, 7, 9.

Male microptera . Similar to female microptera but paler and smaller ( Fig. 3 ); antennal segments VI–VIII brown but abdominal tergites uniformly yellow; tergite VIII with comb of microtrichia; IX with two pairs of short stout setae medially near apex, without drepanae ( Fig. 6 ); sternites III–VIII with C-shaped pore plate ( Fig. 7 ).

Measurements (in microns). Body length 740. Head, length 75; width across eyes 85. Pronotum, length 100; maximum width 115. Fore wing, length 40. Tergite stout median thorn–like setae I 10. Antennal segments I–VIII, 12, 22, 22, 23, 23, 30, 5, 10.

Specimens examined (all micropterae except where stated). Iran, Fars Province: Shiraz from Cynodon dactylon , 2 females, 29.viii.2014 (KM 1250) ; 2 females, 3.ix.2014 (KM 1253); 3 females, 2 males, 5.ix.2014 (KM 1255); 3 females, 7.ix.2014 (KM 1259); 4 females, 2 female macropterae, 27.ix.2014 (KM 1268); 3 females, 3.x.2014 (KM 1269); 1 female 13.x.2014 (KM 1276); 5 female macropterae, 24.x.2014 (KM 1288); 1 female macroptera, 5.x.2017; 1 female macroptera, Sorghum halepense , 4.x.2017 (KM 1719). Mamasani, 1 male, 18.ix.2014 (KM 1265). Firoozabad, 1 female, 1 male, Cynodon dactylon , 1.xi.2017 (KM 1737).

Comments. The female macropterous morph of the species discussed in this paper agrees with the description of A. graminum although abdominal tergites IX–X of the micropterous morph are brown. However, in some samples, the two morphs have been collected together on the same plant species. As a result of extensive collecting in both spring and summer, it seems likely that both morphs of the species occur only at the end of summer and early in autumn. The presence of a pore plate on sternite VIII in the micropterous morph of A. graminum is not reported for any Anaphothrips species apart from sudanensis ( Mound & Masumoto 2009) . A further Anaphothrips species reported from Iran, A. microptera Mirab-balou et al. (2014) described from grasses in Ilam Province, was compared only with A. sudanensis , a distinctly bicolored species. However, according to the description, A. microptera is very similar to the micropterous morph of A. graminum . The only difference is color of abdominal tergite IX–X which is yellow in A. microptera (these are brown in micropterous female of A. graminium while yellow in macropterous female and micropterous male). However, synonymizing these two species without examining of type series of A. microptera is not possible.

Figures

FIGURES 1–7. Anaphothrips graminum. (1) Female microptera; (2) Female macroptera; (3) Male microptera. Meso & metanotum, female (4–5): (4) Microptera; (5) Macroptera. Male microptera (6–7): (6) Abdominal tergites VIII–X; (7) Abdominal sternites III– VIII.

FIGURES 8–12. Anaphothrips graminum female microptera. (8–9) Antenna; (10) Head & pronotum; (11) Abdominal tergites VI–X; (12) Abdominal sternites IV–VII.