Caprithrips insularis Beshear

Wang, Zhaohong, Zhao, Chao, Chen, Junyu & Tong, Xiaoli, 2016, Two newly recorded genera and a new species of Thripinae from China (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), Zoological Systematics 41 (3), pp. 253-260 : 256

Caprithrips insularis Beshear ( Figs 8–15 )

Caprithrips insularis Beshear, 1975: 500 .

Female. Body small and largely yellow ( Fig. 8 ), but tip of abdominal tergite X light brown. Antennal segments I–IV yellow, V light brown in distal half, VI dark brown ( Fig. 10 ).

Head bulged in front of compound eyes with weakly discrete transverse lines between and behind eyes, cheeks almost parallel; three pairs of ocellar setae present, pair I not close together, pair III longest ( Fig. 9 ); four pairs of postocular setae present, setae I absent, setae II arise far to posterior. Antennae 6-segmented, segment I without dorso-apical setae, III–IV each with a simple sensorium.

Pronotum slight trapezoidal, wider than long; dorsal surface weakly sculptured with discrete transverse striae and absent strong setae. Suture between meso- and metanotum incomplete, missing in median half ( Fig. 12 ); meso and meta furcae without spinula ( Fig. 11 ). Basantra membranous with 3 pairs of setae; each fernal sclerite transversely long ovoid. Mesoepimeron with granulate surface.

Abdominal tergites I–VIII and sternites II–VII with distinctly posteromarginal craspeda ( Figs 13–15 ) but absent in the mesal third of sternite VII ( Fig. 14 ). Tergites I–VIII with 3 pairs of posteromarginal setae; mediodorsal setae on tergite IX shorter but stouter than posteromarginal setae. Sternite II with 2 pairs of posteromarginal setae, sternites III–VII with 3 pairs of well-developed posteromarginal setae and 7–10 accessory setae ( Figs 14–15 ).

Material examined. 42♀, China, Guangdong, Gaozhou City, Yuntan Town (21°52'42"N, 111°10'24"E; elev. 60 m), collected from grasses, 8 September 2014, leg. Zhaohong Wang ; 12♀, same location and host plant, 16 Dec. 2014, leg. Zhaohong Wang ; 4♀, Hainan, Danzhou, Campus of Haikou University (19°30'34"N, 109°29'26"E; elev. 150 m), collected from Cyperus sp. 27 September 2014, leg. Shulan Yang & Junyu Chen.

Distribution. China (Guangdong, Hainan); USA, Trinidad, Surinam, New Caledonia, Australia.

Remarks. Caprithrips is a small genus of six apterous species that all feed on Poaceae ( Bhatti, 1980; Mound, 2011; Thrips Wiki, 2016 ). This genus may be closely related to two other grass inhabiting genera Aptinothrips and Prosopothrips . However, Caprithrips can be distinguished from Aptinothrips by posteromarginal flange on abdominal tergites and sternites. Prosopothrips has an extensive stippled area around the spiracle on abdominal tergite VIII and reticulated sculpture on body ( Bhatti, 1973), which can be easily separated with Caprithrips . The genus is recorded to China for the first time. Caprithrips insularis Beshear shows a remarkable disjunct distribution: Western Hemisphere, Australia and China. We have collected almost 60 specimens of the species from three different populations, but no male was found. This species was probably introduced to China with cultivated grasses from other countries.

Figures

Figures 8–15. Caprithrips insularis Beshear. 8. Habitus of female. 9. Head. 10. Antenna. 11. Ventral view of thorax. 12. Meso- and metanotum. 13. Abdominal tergites IV–V. 14. Abdominal sternite VII. 15. Abdominal sternites V–VI.