Scirtothrips kirrhos, Hoddle, Mark S. & Mound, Laurence A., 2003

Hoddle, Mark S. & Mound, Laurence A., 2003, The genus Scirtothrips in Australia (Insecta, Thysanoptera, Thripidae), Zootaxa 268, pp. 1-40 : 23-24

Scirtothrips kirrhos sp. nov.

[ Figs 13 , 42 ]

Female macroptera. Colour: Yellow, ocellar region brown, also anterior margin of mesonotum and median area of tergites II – VIII; antecostal ridges on tergites III­VIII dark across full width of segments, on sternites III­VII shaded full width of segments; forewings weakly shaded; antennal segment I pale, II variably light brown, III – IV mainly yellow with apex brown, V­VIII dark.

Structure: Vertex with closely spaced and transversely anastomosing striae, ocellar region with lines of sculpture scarcely visible; ocellar setae pair III close together, distance between their bases less than three times the diameter of the basal pores, arising almost on tangent joining anterior margins of posterior ocelli; two pairs of post­ocular setae. Pronotum with transverse striae regular and closely spaced; 4­5 anteromarginal setae, 14­17 discal setae; 4 pairs of posteromarginal setae, S2 about twice the length of S1, S3 subequal to S1. Metanotal reticulation transverse anteriorly but almost equiangular on posterior half, median setae posterior of margin. Forewing scale with 4 marginal setae; first vein setae 10­12+1­2+1­2+0­1+0­1; second vein 2­4 setae; basal posteromarginal fringe cilia wavy but distal cilia straight. Tergites III­V median setae short, distance between bases about 3 times the length of these setae; tergal microtrichial fields with 3 discal setae; VIII and IX without discal microtrichia medially, posteromarginal comb on VIII complete. Sternites III­VI with 3 pairs of posteromarginal setae; microtrichial fields weak, scarcely extending mesad of S3.

Measurements of holotype female. Body length 1050. Head, length 60; width 150; p.o. S1 20. Pronotum, length 90; width 160; posteromarginal setae S1 15, S2 30. Forewing length 600. Antennal segments III – VI, 38, 35, 35, 40.

Male macroptera. Similar in colour and sculpture to female, but smaller; tergite IX with pair of rather short, pale drepanae; aedeagus without stout spines.

Holotype female. South Australia, 30 km northwest of Whyalla, from Acacia papyrocarpa [Leguminosae], 29.xii.1997 (LAM 3375). Paratypes: 30 females and 5 males collected with holotype.

Material excluded from type series: Northern Territory, Standley Chasm, 20 females from Acacia kempeana , 31­x­1999 (LAM 3760); Serpentine Gorge, 3 females from A. kempeana , 1­xi­1999 (LAM 3768); Standley Chasm, 35 females 2 males from Acacia macdonellensis , 31­x­1999 (LAM 3759), 1­xi­1999 (LAM 3771), and 2­xi­1999 (LAM 3782).

Comments. This is part of a species complex on Acacia foliage, together with the new species S. akakia , S. moneres and S. quadriseta , in which the ocellar region lacks definite sculpture, and the first abdominal tergite lacks setae, but in which the patterns of inter­population variation are difficult to interpret. The non­paratypic specimens listed above are very similar to those of the type series but generally have none of the posteromarginal cilia on the forewing undulating, although a few have one or more of these cilia faintly wavy. Moreover, these specimens from central Australia have the pronotal striae more widely spaced than the members of the type series, and some of those from Acacia macdonellensis have pronotal setae S2 shorter than the width of the second antennal segment. Also, the specimens from A. kempeana and A. macdonellensis have the median setae on tergites four and five more closely spaced; the interval between them being little more than their length, and the posterior half of tergite IX usually bears many microtrichia. It is not possible to know if such small differences are stable population differences or merely the result of a localised founder effect. One female collected with the holotype contained in the abdomen two larval Hymenoptera – Perilampidae . This slide has been deposited with John Heraty, Department of Entomology, University of California at Riverside, U.S.A.

Figures

FIGURES 11 ­ 20. Scirtothrips heads and pronota. 11, frondis; 12, inermis; 13, kirrhos; 14, longipennis; 15, litotes; 16, moneres; 17, pilbara; 18, tenor; 19, quadriseta; 20, solus.

FIGURES 38 ­ 44. Scirtothrips abdominal tergites. 38, akakia; 39, albomaculatus VI­IX; 40, australiae VI­IX; 41, drepanofortis I­IV; 42, kirrhos IV­VI; 43, moneres IV­VI; 44, inermis IV­VIII.