Liothrips floridensis (Watson)

Wang, Chin-Ling & Lin, Feng-Chyi, 2020, Genera and species of the Liothrips lineage (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae) from Taiwan, Zootaxa 4861 (3), pp. 349-375 : 358-360

Liothrips floridensis (Watson)

( Figs 28–34 )

Cryptothrips floridensis Watson, 1913: 145 . Described from Florida and widespread in Japan, this species is also recorded from Sri Lanka as well as Taiwan ( Okajima 2006). It lives on the leaves of Cinnamomum camphor , the widely planted camphor laurel tree.

Female macroptera. Body length 2.8 mm. Color brown; antennal segments I and II dark brown, same colour as head, III–VI yellow, VII greyish brown, VIII dark brown; all femora and tibiae brown except distal end of fore tibia yellowish; fore tarsi yellow, mid and hind tarsi brown; fore wings hyaline, greyish only at base; pronotal setae hyaline, wing-retaining setae brown.

Head 1.3 times as long as wide ( Fig. 28 ), po setae situated near eyes, blunt and about same length as eyes; maxillary stylets retracted to level of po setae, about 1/5 of head width apart; antennal segment III 1.3 times, segment IV 1.2 times as long as II ( Fig. 34 ). Pronotum with 5 pairs of setae with expanded apices ( Fig. 30 ), aa and am subequal in length, shorter than other pairs; one pair of mini-setae between aa and am setae; mesopresternum protruding irregularly in middle ( Fig. 32 ); metanotum sculptured with regular reticles medially ( Fig. 31 ). Pelta triangular with irregular apex and sharp lateral angles ( Fig. 33 ); tergite II laterally with 4 accessary setae ( Fig. 29 ); tube shorter than head.

Specimens examined. Taiwan, Taihoken (Taipei), 1 female from camphor, 13.iv.1933 (Takahashi) ; Sandimen (Pingtung), 16 females from camphor, 21.ix.1992 ; Wuzhishan (Taipei), 1 female from camphor, 15.xii.1993; TARI , 1 female from Ficus , 17.ix.1994; Gukeng (Chiayi), 1 female, 1 male in woods, 4.v.1999 .

Comments. Watson identified as L. floridensis some specimens sent to him from Taiwan by Takahashi, although those specimens had somewhat larger and darker setae than the Florida specimens ( Watson 1925). Most

Liothrips species have yellow tarsi, whereas the brown colour of the mid and hind tarsi of floridensis make this species readily distinguished from others.

Figures

FIGURES 28–34. Liothrips floridensis: (28) head; (29) tergite II; (30) pronotum; (31) metanotum; (32) mesopresternum; (33) pelta; (34) shape of antenna.