Key to Scirtothrips species from Africa

*See note at end of key.

1. Abdominal sterna III–VI with several rows of prominent microtrichia present completely across median area, at least on posterior halves of these sterna (Figs 3, 6)...................................................................... 2

-. Abdominal sterna with rows of prominent microtrichia restricted to lateral areas, rarely extending just mesad of marginal setal pair S1 (Fig. 14)...................................................................................... 4

2. Fore wing posteromarginal cilia wavy; sterna IV–VI almost completely covered by microtrichia (Fig. 3); tergum IX with few or no microtrichia posteromedially (Fig. 2); ocellar setae III usually arising on tangent between anterior margins of hind ocelli (Fig. 1); male with comb of six stout setae on hind femora (cf. Fig. 13); male tergite IX with paired dark drepanae....................................................................................................... aurantii

-. Fore wing posteromarginal cilia straight; sternal microtrichia restricted to posterior half of sterna IV–VI (Fig. 6); tergum IX with many microtrichia posteromedially (Fig. 5); ocellar setae III usually arising between hind ocelli (Fig. 4); male without a comb of stout setae on hind femora; male tergite IX without drepanae........................................... 3

3. Abdominal terga with median area and antecostal ridge dark, lateral microtrichial fields with 3 discal setae..... aff. dorsalis

-. Abdominal terga with median area and antecostal ridge pale, lateral microtrichial fields with 4–5 discal setae (cf. Fig. 18).............................................................................................. oligochaetus

4. Fore wing posteromarginal cilia all straight................................................................ 5

-. Posteromarginal cilia of fore wing either all wavy, or at least those at median part of wing wavy...................... 7

5. Terga dark medially between lateral microtrichial fields; fore wings deeply shaded; pronotal posteromarginal setae S2 twice as long as S1 (Fig. 19); tergal microtrichial fields with 3 discal setae........................................ kenyensis

-. Abdominal terga with no dark areas except antecostal ridge; fore wings pale; pronotal posteromarginal setae S2 less than 1.7 as long as S1; tergal microtrichial fields with 4–5 discal setae (Fig. 18)............................................ 6

6. Posteromarginal setae not longer than 0.3 as long as pronotum; ocellar setae III not longer than longitudinal width of an ocellus; male tergite IX with paired dark drepanae......................................................... fulleri

-. Posteromarginal setae S2 more than 0.5 as long as pronotum; ocellar setae III almost twice as long as longitudinal width of an ocellus; male tergite IX without drepanae............................................................. inermis

7. Pronotal posteromarginal setae pairs S2 and S3 more than 0.6 times as long as median length of pronotum (Fig. 21) spinosus

-. Pronotum with no setae more than 0.4 as long as median length of pronotum.................................... 8*

8. Fore wing second vein with 5–13 setae (rarely as few as 4); tergum VIII with no microtrichia medially near anterior margin (Fig. 7)............................................................................................. 9

-. Fore wing second vein with 2–3 setae (rarely as many as 4); tergum VIII usually with a few rows of microtrichia medially near anterior margin (Fig. 16).............................................................................. 10

9. Abdominal terga pale, antecostal ridge also pale; fore wing pale, second vein with 4–6 setae; metanotum with elongate reticulation (Figs 9, 10).............................................................................. africanus

-. Abdominal terga light brown, antecostal ridge dark; fore wing shaded, second vein with 7–13 setae; metanotum almost striate medially (Fig. 23)............................................................................... zuluensis

10. Body mainly brown, fore wing uniformly deeply shaded.............................................. mugambii

-. Body largely yellow; fore wing pale or bicoloured......................................................... 11

11. Ocellar setae III arise on anterior margins of ocellar triangle (Fig. 17); pronotal posteromarginal setae S2 about 0.4 as long as pronotum [body pale with anterior part of head brown, fore wings largely dark]........................... longipennis

-. Ocellar setae III arise within ocellar triangle (Fig. 11), just anterior to tangent between anterior margins of posterior ocelli; no pronotal posteromarginal setae more than 0.3 as long as pronotum (Fig. 11)..................................... 12

12. Terga with median dark area; fore wing pale at apex but median third shaded, clavus dark; sterna with microtrichia extending slightly mesad of marginal setae S1................................................................ combreti

-. Terga pale with no median dark area; fore wing and clavus uniformly pale; sterna with microtrichia not extending mesad to setae S1 (Fig. 14).................................................................................... 13

13. Terga with antecostal ridge dark, lateral microtrichial fields with 3 discal setae (Fig. 15); tergum IX with no microtrichia present medially (Fig. 16); male hind femora with comb of about 6 stout setae (Fig. 13).................... dodonaeae sp. n.

-. Terga with antecostal ridge pale, lateral microtrichial fields with 4 discal setae (Fig. 20); tergum IX with microtrichia present medially; male hind femora without comb of stout setae............................................. mangiferae