Anaphothrips sudanensis Trybom

Mound, Laurence A. & Masumoto, Masami, 2009, Australian Thripinae of the Anaphothrips genus-group (Thysanoptera), with three new genera and thirty-three new species, Zootaxa 2042 (1), pp. 1-76 : 50-53

Anaphothrips sudanensis Trybom

( Figs 133 , 140–142 )

Anaphothrips sudanensis Trybom, 1911: 1

This species has been described under at least 10 different names, and has been studied from many tropical and subtropical areas around the world. In Australia it is widespread on various grasses from Sydney northwards to Darwin and Kununurra. The body colour varies between geographical areas. Only bicoloured males have been seen from Australia, but yellow males have been studied from India, Abu Dhabi and northern Africa. Abdominal segment VI of females is often yellow in these latter populations, and antennal segments I– II are also yellow, in contrast to Australian populations. In Japan, seven colour varieties (five in female, two in male) are recorded (Kudo, 1989; Nakao et al., 2001), and contrary to Pitkin (1978) there is no evidence that this variation represents more than one species. Apterous forms of this widespread and variable species are described here for the first time. These apterae came from grasses at a single locality at Canberra on dates spanning May 2003 and December 2005. Although at first considered to be a distinct species, the few structural and colour differences seem best interpreted as morph-related variation, despite neither macropterae nor micropterae being taken at this locality .

Female macroptera. Body bicoloured, generally dark brown with abdominal segments III–V (or VI) yellow, colour pattern variable; legs yellow; antennal segments I–II brown (sometimes yellow), III–IV yellow, V–VIII brown; fore wings pale with dark sub-basal band. Head slightly longer than wide, projecting very slightly in front of eyes ( Fig. 140 ); eyes with 6 pigmented facets; ocellar setae III outside triangle, just anterior to hind ocelli. Antennae 8-segmented, III–IV with short forked sensorium, II without microtrichia, IV–VI pedicellate ( Fig. 133 ). Pronotum weakly sculptured. Metascutum irregularly reticulate, median setae far back from anterior margin; MCS present or absent. Fore wing first vein with about 6 setae on basal half, 1 seta medially and 2 distally; second vein with about 8 setae, sometimes with one seta just basal to vein fork; clavus with about 4–5 veinal setae and one seta at base. Abdominal tergites often with small dentate microtrichia on sculpture lines laterally, sculpture not extending mesad of setae S2, dentate microtrichia laterally on posterior margin; VIII with posteromarginal comb complete, microtrichia broad at base ( Fig. 142 ).

Female microptera. Similar to macroptera but ocelli small or absent; fore wing lobe almost as long as head width.

Male microptera. Similar to female, but pterothorax yellow (in Australia); ocelli absent; tergites VI–VII sometimes with irregular dentate microtrichia on posterior margin medially, VIII with comb sometimes reduced to broadly based teeth, IX with 2 pairs of stout setae medially; sternites III–VIII with large C-shaped pore plate ( Fig. 141 ).

Apterae. Closely similar to micropterae except: females yellow with abdominal segments VIII–X dark brown; mesonotum and metascutum transverse; abdominal tergites weakly reticulate medially; tergites VI–VII setae S3 and S4 shorter than S1 and S2; tergite VIII posterior margin with large triangular teeth laterally and small teeth medially; spiracular area large. Males yellow, structurally identical to micropterae except for transverse meso- and metathorax.

Figures

FIGURES 130–139. Anaphothrips of Australia. A. parsonsiae 130–132: (130) head & pronotum; (131) meso & metanotum; (132) clavus. (133) A. sudanensis antenna. A. pultenaeae 134–139: (134) antenna; (135) head & pronotum; (136) meso & metanotum; (137) tergites VII–VIII; (138) male sternites; (139) male tergites VIII–IX.

FIGURES 140–147. Anaphothrips of Australia. A. sudanensis 140–142: (140) head; (141) male sternites; (142) tergites VII–VIII. A. swezeyi 143–146: (143) tergites VII–VIII; (144) antenna; (145) male sternites; (146) male tergites VIII–IX. (147) A. varii head.