Ecacanthothrips nigellus Okajima

Okajima, Shûji & Masumoto, Masami, 2024, The genus Hoplandrothrips and its relatives (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae) from Southeast Asia and Taiwan, Zootaxa 5489 (1), pp. 22-91 : 31

Ecacanthothrips nigellus Okajima

( Figs 14 , 111–119 )

Ecacanthothrips nigellus Okajima, 1983: 59–61 .

This species was described from northern Thailand based on two females, and is included in the inarmatus -group. It is very similar to leai , but has the tibiae and antennal segments darker ( Fig. 14 ). Moreover, antennal segments III and IV ( Figs 113–115 ) are heavier than those of leai , and segment III bears extraordinary dark and thick sense cones. The inner side of antennal segment III is distinctly swollen at basal half and segment IV has thicker basal stem. The basal width of this segment is almost as wide as the apical width in nigellus , though the stems of these segments are slender in leai , the basal width being much narrower than apical width. Unfortunately, the intraspecific variation of this species is not yet understood, because only two large females are known so far.

Specimens examined. Thailand, holotype female and a paratype female (data described in Okajima, 1983).

Figures

FIGURES 1–14. Ecacanthothrips species. E. andrei 1–2: (1) female; (2) large male. E. brevicornis sp. n. 3–4: (3) female; (4) male. E. claricornis 5–6: (5) female; (6) large male. E. coniger 7–8: (7) female; (8) large male. E. leai 9–11: (9) female; (10) large male; (11) small male. E. moundi 12–13: (12) fmale; (13) large male. E. nigellus: (14) female.

FIGURES 111–119. Ecacanthothrips nigellus, female. (111) fore leg; (112) head and prothorax; (113) antennal segments II– VIII; (114) antennal segment III, dorsal view; (115) antennal segment III, ventral view; (116) metanotum and pelta; (117) prosternum and mesopresternum; (118) sub-basal wing setae; (119) tube.