Ecacanthothrips tibialis (Ashmead)

Okajima, Shûji & Masumoto, Masami, 2024, The genus Hoplandrothrips and its relatives (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae) from Southeast Asia and Taiwan, Zootaxa 5489 (1), pp. 22-91 : 32-33

Ecacanthothrips tibialis (Ashmead)

( Figs 17–18 , 127–135 )

Idolothrips tibialis Ashmead, 1905: 20 .

This species was described from Luzon Island, the Philippines, based on a single damaged female, and is widely distributed mainly in the tropical and subtropical regions in the Old World. It exhibits highly confusing intraspecific variation which include not only size related variation but also geographical variation, and has more than 10 junior synonyms ( Palmer & Mound 1978). Especially, it has geographical variation between samples from different sites in the colour of tibiae and intermediate antennal segments ( Okajima 1983; Palmer & Mound 1978). However, the structural characteristics of tibialis are relatively stable despite the size related variation, and it is not difficult to distinguish from two closely related species, andrei and claricornis . Although andrei and claricornis have antennal segments III and IV yellowish ( Figs 58 & 78 ), the postocular cheek setae pointed in male, the mid and hind femora each with only one pale stout seta with blunt or dilated apex ( Figs 62 & 82 ) and the pelta bell-shaped ( Figs 60 & 80 ), tibialis has antennal segments III and IV brownish ( Fig. 129 ), the postocular cheek setae dilated in male, the mid and hind femora each with two or three (often four or more) dark and stout setae with blunt or pointed apices ( Fig. 133 ) and the pelta triangular ( Fig. 132 ). Moreover, tibialis has some differences from both andrei and claricornis in the variation associated with allometric growth. In large males, tibialis has the pronotal anteromarginal setae reduced and a sub-apical inner tubercle on the fore tibia, whereas andrei and claricornis have the pronotal anteromarginal setae elongate and no tibial sub-apical tubercle.

Specimens examined (detailed data are omitted). Numerous females and males from the following localities: Indonesia (Bali, Java, Lombok, Sulawesi); Peninsular Malaysia; Singapore; Borneo (Kalimantan, Sabah); Thailand; Vietnam; the Philippines (Mindanao, Luzon); Taiwan; Japan (the Ryukyu Islands).

Figures

FIGURES 15–28. Ecacanthothrips and Hoplandrothrips species. E. tenuicornis 15–16: (15) female; (16) large male. E. tibialis 17–18: (17) female; (18) large male. H. adraneoides sp. n. 19–20: (19) female; (20) large male. H. aseanae sp. n. 21–23: (21) female; (22) small male; (23) large male. H. asianus sp. n. 24–25: (24) female; (25) male. H. basantratus sp. n. 26–27: (26) female; (27) large male. H. flavicornis sp. n.: (28) female.

FIGURES 127–135. Ecacanthothrips tibialis. (127) Head and prothorax, female; (128) head and prothorax, large male; (129) antennal segments III–V, female; (130) fore leg, female; (131) fore leg, large male; (132) metanotum and pelta, female; (133) hind femur, female; (134) sub-basal wing setae, female; (135) tube, female.

FIGURES 56–64. Ecacanthothrips andrei. (56) Head and prothorax, female; (57) head and prothorax, large male; (58) antenna, female; (59) antennal segments III–V, female; (60) metanotum and pelta, female; (61) prosternum and mesopresternum, female; (62) hind femur, female; (63) sub-basal wing setae, female; (64) tube, female.

FIGURES 75–83. Ecacanthothrips claricornis. (75) fore leg, female; (76) head and prothorax, female; (77) head and prothorax, large male; (78) antenna, female; (79) antennal segments III–V, female; (80) metanotum and pelta, female; (81) prosternum and mesopresternum, female; (82) hind femur, female; (83) tube, female.