Mycterothrips araliae (Takahashi)

Okajima, Masami Masumoto And Shûji, 2006, A revision of and key to the world species of Mycterothrips Trybom (Thysanoptera, Thripidae), Zootaxa 1261 (1261), pp. 1-90 : 26-28

Mycterothrips araliae (Takahashi)

( Figs. 21–33)

Taeniothrips araliae Takahashi, 1936: 434–437 .

Mycterothrips araliae (Takahashi) ; Bhatti, 1978b: 185; Wang, 1999:231–232 (redescription of female and description of male).

Diagnosis. Body yellowish brown or brownish yellow. Head with cheeks slightly rounded ( Figs. 21–22). Antennal segments III and IV with long sense­cones, distinctly narrowed in neck­like distal third, VI widest in basal third to half and tapering to apex ( Figs. 23, 25). Pronotum with more than 50 discal setae ( Figs. 21–22). Mesonotum with a pair of CPS anteromedially; median pair of setae situated near posterior margin ( Fig. 27). Metascutum sculptured with transverse or distorted reticulations medially; median pair of setae situated at anterior margin ( Fig. 27). Abdominal terga without ciliate microtrichia on lines of sculpture, smooth medially, often partly with irregular microtrichia, posterior margin with or without microtrichia laterally ( Figs. 28–31); tergum II with four lateral marginal setae; terga VI to VIII with B4 setae minute ( Fig. 29–31); tergum IX with only posterior pair of CPS ( Fig. 31); sterna without discal setae. Male has antennal segment VI almost the same as that of female, with some rows microtrichia on both dorsal and ventral surfaces ( Figs. 24, 26). Abdominal tergum IX with a pair of CPS, SB1 setae vestigial ( Figs. 32–33); sterna without discal setae. Hypomere not expanded at apex ( Figs. 32–33).

Specimens examined. Taiwan: Holotype (female) of Taeniothrips araliae and 1 male mounted together with the holotype on same slide (not indicated as paratype) [Asahi, Taito, Aralia , 16­v­1935, R. Takahashi]( TARI). 1 male, Nantou­hsien, nr. Meifeng alt.

about 1700m, on grass, 4­iv­1993, H. Urushihara & S. Okajima ( TUA). 32 females and 12 males , Nantou­hsien , Meifeng alt. ca. 2000m, host unknown, 1­ix­1993, T . Nonaka & S. Okajima ( TUA). 1male , Taoyuan­hsien , Mt. Lala­shan, on grass, 19­viii­1993, T . Nonaka & S. Okajima ( TUA). 23 females and 11 males , Taoyuan­hsien , Mt. Lala­shan, on unknown plant leaves, 19­viii­1993, T . Nonaka & S. Okajima ( TUA) .

Comments. Previously this species was known only from the unique holotype female, although the male was described by Wang (1999) based on a non­paratypic male mounted together with the holotype on one glass slide. Wang (1999) stated that this species has no microtrichia on the sculpture lines of the abdominal terga and the posterior margin of the terga, but such fine structures on body surface of the holotype and this male were not visible because they had not been suitably cleared. Many recently collected individuals of both sexes have been studied by the present authors, and these have the following characters: females with usually small, but often relatively large irregular microtrichia on sculpture lines at least laterally on abdominal terga VII and VIII; microtrichia on posterior margin present or absent laterally in same population ( Figs. 28– 31). Moreover, in males tergum IX has a pair of vestigial setae (=SB1) near the posterior margin medially, although these setae are invisible in the male mounted together with the holotype ( Figs. 32–33).