Rhamphothrips pandens Sakimura

Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2011, New records and four new species of Australian Thripidae (Thysanoptera) emphasise faunal relationships between northern Australia and Asia, Zootaxa 2764, pp. 35-48 : 44

Rhamphothrips pandens Sakimura

Rhamphothrips pandens Sakimura, 1983: 299 –303

This species was described from Hawaii, Jamaica and Florida, but subsequently has been recorded from various Pacific islands: Kiribati ( Mound & Walker, 1987); New Caledonia ( Bournier & Mound, 2000); French Polynesia ( Hoddle et al., 2008). Reference material used for the present study included specimens from Kiribati that previously had been compared to type specimens ( Mound & Walker, 1987). Females apparently identical to these reference specimens are listed below from several localities in northern Australia. One female (in ANIC) collected in Thailand in 2003 has also studied. In contrast, females listed below from near Broome, Western Australia, have the pronotal discal setae slightly weaker, but with no further apparent differences. Males of this species have not previously been known, and have been found only amongst these Western Australian series. From this occurrence of males it is concluded that pandens probably originated in Australia, and that a female-only strain with limited variation has been distributed across the Pacific to the Caribbean. The species appears to be polyphagous, although the only plant from which larvae have been taken together with adults was a species of Cassytha (Lauraceae) , a genus of parasitic scrambling vines that is widespread across Australia.

Female macroptera. Very similar in colour and structure to cissus and amyae described above; antennal segments IV–V largely pale with apex shaded, VI brown with variable pale area basally. Ovipositor length scarcely more than 200 microns.

Male macroptera. Similar to female, but antennae paler, segment VI largely yellow. Fore tibial armature similar to large and small males of cissus ; terga laterally without prominent teeth, VII with a few small tooth-like lobes ( Fig. 22 ); tergum IX with median pair of setae arising separately, further apart in large male than in small male, with no microtrichia laterally; sterna VIII and IX with transverse band of microtrichia.

Larvae II. Yellow, tergum X dark on posterior half, antennal segments lightly shaded; abdominal terga each with three pairs of setae with broadly capitate and fimbriate apices, similar setae on head and thorax. Pupae with setae finely acute.

Australian material studied. Northern Territory, Coburg Peninsula, Smith Point, 1 female from Ficus leaves, 14.v.1999. Queensland, Boigu Island, 1 female, 16.xi.2009; Yam Island, 2 females, 19.xi.2009; Cairns, James Cook University, 2 females from Glochidion sumatrana leaves, 3.xi.2008. Western Australia, 150km south of Broome, 6 females, 6 males with larvae from Cassytha leaves, 3.iii.2005; Broome, 5 females, 2 males from Sida leaves, 28.ii.2005.

Figures

FIGURES 15 – 23. Rhamphothrips species. R. amyae 15 – 19: (15) antenna; (16) head & pronotum; (17) male terga V – IX; (18) female sterna VI – VII; (19) male fore tibia & tarsus. R. cissus 20 – 21: (20) thoracic sterna; (21) male terga V – IX. R. pandens (22) male terga IV – IX. R. tenuirostris (23) male terga VI – IX.