Scirtothrips lantanae, Ng & Mound & Azidah, 2014

Ng, Y. F., Mound, L. A. & Azidah, A. A., 2014, The genus Scirtothrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in Malaysia, with four new species and comments on Biltothrips, a related genus, Zootaxa 3856 (2), pp. 253-266 : 260-261

Scirtothrips lantanae sp.n.

( Figs 15–20 )

Female macroptera. Body generally light brown; pronotum with shaded longitudinal bands sublaterally, femora, tibiae and tarsi slightly shaded; antennal segments I–III pale, IV–VII brown, VIII pale apically; fore wings weakly shaded at base including clavus, middle and sub-apical areas; abdominal tergites II–VIII light brown with anterior margins paler; III–VII with antecostal ridge slightly darker but interrupted medially; sternites IV–VII with antecostal ridges dark.

Antennae 8-segmented, forked sensoria on III–IV short, not reaching more than one-third the length of succeeding segment; ocellar triangle with closely spaced transverse striae; ocellar setae III on tangent between anterior margins of hind ocelli, 2 pairs of po setae as long as ocellar setae III. Pronotum with closely spaced striae, with about 20 discal setae; 4 pairs of almost subequal posteromarginal setae. Metanotum with transversely arcuate striae on anterior third, posterior area longitudinally striate/reticulate; median setae far behind anterior margin. Fore wing second vein with 3 setae; fore wing clavus with 3–4 marginal setae, and one discal seta. Abdominal tergites II–VI with setae S1 small, close together, distance between bases less than setal length; VIII with two or more rows of microtrichia across anterior half of segment; IX–X with many rows of microtrichia on posterior half. Sternites fully covered by rows of microtrichia across segment; II–VI with complete comb of microtrichia on posterior margin, but absent medially on VII.

Measurements (female in microns). Distended body length 905. Head width across eyes 120. Pronotum, length 103, width 138; posteromarginal setae pm1 19, pm2 20. Metanotum median setae 17, submedian setae 22. Fore wing, length 472; distal setae on second vein 16–17. Antennae length 228; segments III–VI length 40, 41, 38, 36. Tergites III–VI S1 length 10–31, distance between bases 11–26.

Male macroptera. Similar in colour and sculpture to female but smaller; antecostal ridges on abdominal sternites III–VII pale; tergite IX without drepanae.

Material studied. Holotype female: MALAYSIA, Bukit Kesing , Terengganu, on Lantana sp. , 23.viii.2011 (Ng, Y.F.) (in CISUKM) . Paratypes: 6 females and 2 males collected with holotype ; 1 male and 3 females from KL, University Malaya Campus, Rimba Ilmu, collected on Lantana sp. , 16.v. 2012 (Ng, Y.F.), (in CISUKM and ANIC) .

Comments. The body colouration of this new species is unique, with two shaded longitudinal bands on the pronotum and fore wing. The abdominal sternites III–V have a comb of long microtrichia on the posterior margin ( Fig. 18 ). This condition is found also in S. aurantii and Siamothrips argus Okajima decribed from Thailand, but the microtrichia are much shorter and/or sparser in those species.

Figures

FIGURES 15–20. Scirtothrips lantanae sp.n. (15) Head and pronotum; (16) Antenna; (17) Abdominal tergites VI–IX; (18) Abdominal sternites IV–VI; (19) Metascutum; (20) Fore wing.