Scirtothrips moneres, 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 : 26-27

Scirtothrips moneres sp. nov.

[ Figs 16 , 30 , 43 ]

Female macroptera. Colour: Mainly yellow, brown markings in ocellar triangle, on mesonotum, and medially on tergites II – VII, tergite IX light brown; antecostal ridges dark on tergites III­VIII across full width of segments, on sternites III­VII shaded full width of segments; forewings weakly shaded, paler toward apex; antennal segment I pale, II dark, III – IV pale in basal half, V – VIII dark.

Structure: Vertex with closely spaced, transversely anastomosing striae, but ocellar region without sculpture lines; bases of ocellar setae pair III separated approximately by the length of these setae, arising within triangle in front of tangent joining anterior margins of posterior ocelli; only one pair of post­ocular setae; ocellar and postocular setae stout with apices blunt. Pronotum with transverse striae weak, irregular and widely separated; 4­ 6 anteromarginal setae, 7­11 discal setae; 4 pairs of posteromarginal setae, S2 about twice length of S1, S3 subequal to S1; pronotal setae all slightly flattened and blunt. Metanotum weakly and irregularly reticulate, median setae posterior of margin. Forewing scale with 3­ 4 marginal setae; first vein setae 3­4+1­7+1­4+1­2+1; second vein 1­2 setae; posteromarginal fringe cilia straight. Tergite I without discal setae, III­V median setae short, distance between bases at least 1.5 times the length of these setae; tergal microtrichial fields with few rows of microtrichia and 3 discal setae, the lateral pairs much stouter than the median pairs; VIII with no discal microtrichia medially, posteromarginal comb complete; tergite IX with very weak discal microtrichia on posterior half. Sternites with microtrichial fields weak or absent.

Measurements of holotype female. Body length 1050. Head, length 70; width 150; p.o. S1 18. Pronotum, length 85; width 165; posteromarginal setae S1 12, S2 30. Forewing length 650. Antennal segments III – VI, 40, 33, 33, 37.

Male macroptera. Similar in colour and sculpture to female, but smaller; abdominal segment IX with pair of dark grooved drepanae with pointed apices curving dorsally; aedeagus without paired array of spines.

Holotype Female. Western Australia, Wittenoom Gorge, from Acacia sp., 25.ix.1995 (LAM 2846). Paratypes: 9 females collected with holotype. Northern Territory, 30 km south of Elliot, 17 females, 1 male from Acacia sp., 17.v.1999 (LAM 3719); Humpty Doo, 1 female from Melaleuca white flowers, 29­xii­1995 (LAM 2925); Queensland, 5 km north of Hughenden, 5 females from Acacia sp. gall, 31.vii.1993 (LAM 2557).

Material excluded from type series: Western Australia 30 km west of Hamersley Gorge, 7 females from Acacia ?atkinsiana, 26­ix­1995 (LAM 2857); 80 km northwest of Wittenoom, 4 females from Acacia sp., 23­ix­1995 (LAM 2819); Northern Territory, 150 km north of Tenant Creek, 3 females from Acacia sp. 25­vii­1993 (LAM 2521).

Comments. S. moneres has the major setae unusually stout and blunt, but is similar to S. tenor in having the tergal microtrichial fields exceptionally weak and the sternites almost devoid of microtrichia, in contrast to most members of the genus Scirtothrips . However, these two species are only the extremes of the range of variation in microtrichia development that is exhibited by Australian Scirtothrips species. In lacking sculpture within the ocellar triangle and in lacking setae on the first abdominal tergite, S. moneres appears closely related to two of the other Acacia ­living Scirtothrips species described here, S. kirrhos and S. quadriseta . It has a wide geographic range in northern Australia, probably in association with more than one species of Acacia . The series taken from galls on Acacia in Queensland is almost certainly an opportunistic exploitation of a protective structure, but the single female collected from Melaleuca was presumably a vagrant and not associated with flowers on this plant. The S. moneres holotype and paratypes listed above all have most of the setae on the dorsal surface of the head and thorax curiously blunt and flattened rather than setiform. The specimens listed as excluded from the type series all have typical setiform setae, long and slender with a tapering point, as in other species of Scirtothrips . Despite the difference in form of their setae, no other differences have been noted on these specimens that might distinguish them from S. moneres . Currently it is not possible to decide whether they might be distinct genetically, or if the setal form is the result of local environmental conditions.

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 21 ­ 31. Scirtothrips pro­ meso­ and metanota. 21, astibos; 22, aurantii; 23, aurantii; 24, eremicus; 25, australiae; 26, dorsalis; 27, dorsalis; 28, aurantii; 29, quadriseta; 30, moneres; 31, dobroskyi.

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.