Hydatothrips latisensibilis Kudo

Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, And Desley J., 2009, Identification and host-plant associations of Australian Sericothripinae (Thysanoptera, Thripidae), Zootaxa 1983, pp. 1-22 : 9

Hydatothrips latisensibilis Kudo

( Figs 27–30 )

Hydatothrips(Zonothrips) latisensibilis Kudo, 1997: 353

This species was described from eight females and two males collected from Desmodium (Fabaceae) at Kuching, Sarawak, and of these, one female and one male paratypes have been studied. The female paratype has the sensorium at the apex of antennal segment VI greatly expanded, almost equal in length to antennal segment VII, although in the male it is scarcely half that length. The record here of this species from Australia is based on three females and two males taken from Fabaceae leaves at Darwin. These specimens are similar to the type specimens in many details, but the females have the sensorium on antennal segment VI equal in size only to that of the paratype male. The five specimens are all crushed under one coverslip, and the identification must remain tentative until such time as further specimens are collected. A female and male paratypes of H. noro Kudo , described from Canavallia ( Fabaceae ) on Okinawa, have also been studied. This closely related species has the sensorium on segment VI of the females about equal in size to that of the Australian females identified here as H. latisensibilis . However, the males of H. noro have a pair of stout curved setae on the ninth tergite, unlike the males of H. latisensibilis , including the Australian specimens. The differences among the available specimens could be interpreted as representing three different species, the Australian specimens differing from the other two in having curiously stout marginal microtrichia on the tergites. Alternatively, the three available samples may represent a single variable species that is associated widely with various legume cover crops.

Female macroptera. Bicoloured; brown on head, pteronota, abdominal tergites VII–VIII and lateral thirds of tergites II–IV; yellow on posterior half of metathorax, abdominal segments I, V–VI and IX–X, all legs; pronotum brownish yellow, particularly blotch; forewing clear sub-basally and on distal third, median area dark. Antennae 7-segmented, VI with enlarged sub-apical sensorium. Head with ocellar setae III inside ocellar triangle, ocellar region transversely striate; 3 pairs of postocular setae present. Pronotum anterior third reticulate with no internal markings, blotch transversely striate. Meso and metanota closely striate, with many lines between major sculpture lines. Abdominal tergites IV–V with two rows of discal setae laterally; tergite IX with only 4 pairs of submarginal setae. Sternites medially with neither discal nor marginal microtrichia.

Male. Sternites III–VII with broadly oval glandular area.

Figures

FIGURES 27 – 36. Hydatothrips latisensibilis & H. williamsi. (27 – 30) H. latisensibilis, (27) Head, pro, meso & metanota; (28) Tergites; (29) Male sternites; (30) Terminal antennal segments, ventral and lateral views. (31 – 36) H. williamsi, (31) Head; (32) Meso & metanota; (33) Tergites; (34) Tergites I – III; (35) Sternites; (36) Metasternum.