Mirothrips Cavalleri, Souza, Prezotto and Mound

Cavalleri, Adriano, Lindner, Mariana F. & Mendonça Jr, Milton de S., 2016, New Neotropical Haplothripini (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae) with a key to Central and South American genera, Journal of Natural History 50, pp. 1389-1410 : 1406

Mirothrips Cavalleri, Souza, Prezotto and Mound

Type species: Mirothrips bicolor Cavalleri, Souza, Prezotto and Mound.

This recently described genus now comprises four Neotropical species that are closely related to Karnyothrips . Mirothrips species are easily recognisable by the presence of two pairs of setae on the metanotum arising medially, and by the long and slender antennal segment VIII which is constricted at the base ( Cavalleri et al. 2013). The maxillary stylets are remarkably low and widely separated, and males bear sternal pore plates on segment VIII. The antennal sense cone formula is variable amongst species, with two or three on III and usually three or four on IV, although the number of sense cones on IV varies from two to four in M. analis . We studied the type series of Mirothrips vespicola comb. nov. ( De Santis 1980) at MLP, collected from Mischocyttarus drewseni nests ( Hymenoptera : Vespidae ) in Curitiba, South Brazil. This species is closely related to M. arbiter , in which adults and larvae feed on the eggs of polistine wasps in Southeastern Brazil ( Cavalleri et al. 2013). They both have the major body setae unusually translucent and stout, although these structures are thicker at the tip in M. arbiter . These two taxa are likely to exhibit similar biology, and they can be separated using the key below. All Mirothrips species are presumably predatory on small arthropods and are known only from South America.

Key to Mirothrips species (adapted from Cavalleri et al. 2013)

1. Body bicoloured, abdominal segments I–VIII yellow, IX–X dark brown; legs yellow, also antennal segments III–V............................................... ............................................... bicolor

− Body brown including abdomen, also mid and hind femora, tibiae and antennal segments III–V........................................................................................................................................ 2

2. Antennal segments VI and VII not elongate, VI about 1.8 as long as wide ( Figure 4F ); antennal segment III with two sense cones; major setae on head, pronotum and tergites slender and tapering to just below capitate apex, more slender than stoutest pair of tergal sigmoid setae........................................ ........................................ analis

− Antennal segments VI and VII elongate, VI about 2.3 times as long as wide ( Figure 4E, G ); antennal segment III with three sense cones; major setae on head, pronotum and tergites unusually stout and parallel sided, considerably thicker medially than the stoutest pair of tergal sigmoid setae ( Figure 4C, H )........... ........... 3

3. Pelta with paired campaniform sensilla; S1 on tergite IX less than 0.7 times as long as tube ( Figure 4D )......................................................... ......................................................... arbiter

− Pelta without campaniform sensilla; S1 on tergite IX sub equal in length to the tube ( Figure 4I )........................................................................................................ vespicola comb. nov.

Figures

Figure 4. Mirothrips species. (A–E) Mirothrips arbiter. (F) Mirothrips analis. (G–I) Mirothrips vespicola. (A) Metanotum, with two pairs of setae (arrows). (B) Prosternum, with two pairs of long setae (arrows). (C) Pronotum. (D) Tube, with setae S1 shorter than tube (arrow). (E–G) Antenna. (H) Head and pronotum. (I) Tube, with setae S1 about as long as tube (arrow).