Sericothrips houji (Chou & Feng) Chou & Feng, 2011

Mirab-Balou, Majid, Hu, Qing-Ling, Feng, Ji-Nian & Chen, Xue-Xin, 2011, A new species of Sericothripinae from China (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), with two new synonyms and one new record, Zootaxa 3009, pp. 55-61 : 56

Sericothrips houji (Chou & Feng) comb. n.

(Figs. 6–7, 10–15, 18–20)

Hydatothrips houji Chou & Feng, 1990: 9 –10.

Sussericothrips melilotus Han, 1991: 208 . syn. n.

Female macroptera and microptera ( Figs 18–19 ). Distended body length about 1.0– 1.3 mm. Head, thorax, abdominal terga VII–X and antennal segments IV–VIII brown; abdominal terga I–III pale brown, IV–VI paler; antecostal ridges on terga II–VII dark brown (Fig. 6). Fore wings brown with sub-basal pale band; legs bearing microtrichia, all tibae and tarsus brownish yellow, coxa and femora brown.

Head 1.4–1.5 times as wide as long (Fig. 7); three pairs of ocellar setae present, ocellar setae III situated outside of ocellar triangle; occipital apodeme very near to posterior margin of eyes (Fig. 7). Antennae 8-segmented, segments III and IV each with forked sensoria ( Figs 14–15 ). Antennal segments I–VIII length/width: 0.7, 1.5, 3.2– 3.3, 3.0–3.1, 2.9–3.0, 3.3–3.4, 2.5–2.6, and 3.1–3.3.

Pronotum 1.8–1.9 times as wide as long, reticulate with a large blotch and thick setae; metanotum sculptured, with a pair of median setae situated behind anterior margin ( Fig. 11 ); tarsi 2-segmented. Fore wing second vein without setae. Abdominal segments with dense rows of microtrichia across terga; terga I–VIII with posteromarginal comb complete medially, median setae placed equidistant on terga I–VIII (Fig. 6). Abdominal sterna without discal setae; sterna II–VII with setae on posterior margin, on VII situated anterior to margin ( Fig. 10 ).

Male microptera ( Figs 12 , 20 ). Distended body length about 0.9–1.0 mm. Similar to female but smaller ( Fig. 11 ); with a small circular pore plate on abdominal sterna IV–VII ( Fig. 13 ).

Material examined. CHINA: Shaanxi Province, Yangling, holotype female, 5 female, 1 male paratypes, from grasses, 21.vi.1987 (Feng Ji-Nian) NWAFU; 8 females, 1 male from clover, 22.v.2010 (M. Mirab-balou) ZJUH; Shandong Province, Qinzhou, 2 females, 3 males from clover, 26.v.2010 (Lu Hong, Wei, Shu-Jun, M. Mirabbalou) ZJUH; Beijing, 2 females from alfalfa, 26.v.2010 (Lu, H., M. Mirab-balou) ZJUH. Holotype female of Sussericothrips melilotus with 1 female and 1 male paratypes, IOZ.

Distribution. China (Shaanxi, Shandong, Beijing, Gansu, Hebei, Henan, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia).

Remarks. Han described S. melilotus from Beijing and Gansu, whereas Chou & Feng described H. houji from Yangling. H. houji was compared originally with H. boerhaaviae (Seshadri & Ananthakrishnan) , but is here transferred to Sericothrips because of the following character states: presence of microtrichia completely across the abdominal terga, sterna and metanotum (in both micropterous and macropterous morphs); shape of the metasternum; tergal posterior margins with complete microtrichial comb; abdominal terga II–VII with median setae placed similarly and of similar size. S. melilotus shares these character states, and as no further differences could be found after studying Han’s original specimens, this species is here considered a synonym. During sampling in 2009– 2010, we found S. houji in high populations, especially micropterae, on clover and alfalfa fields.

Figures

FIGURES 18 – 20. S. houji: (18) macropterous female, (19) micropterous female, (20) micropterous male (Scale bar = 200 microns).

FIGURES 10 – 17. (10 – 15) S. houji: (10) abdominal sterna III – IV, (11) meso-metasternum, (12) microptera wing, (13) pore plates on sterna IV – VII (male), (14) antenna (female), (15) antenna (male). (16) H. abdominalis: antenna (female). (17) H. longjingensis sp. n.: antenna (Holotype) (Scale bar = 50 microns).