Merothrips morgani Hood, 1912

Ng, Y. F. & Mound, L. A., 2018, Merothripidae from Malaysia: Merothrips with one new species and two new species records, Zootaxa 4407 (3), pp. 447-450 : 448-449

Merothrips morgani Hood ( Figs 5–6 )

Male apterous. Body uniformly pale. Head longer than wide; eyes reduced; without ocelli; ocellar setae III long and setaceous; vertex largely eroded; fore legs enlarged with one stout tooth on the inner margin of femora; pronotum trapezoidal, with converging longitudinal lines medially, one pair of long posteroangular setae; mesosternum and metasternum endofurca with well developed spinula; mesonotum, metanotum and abdominal segments with smooth sculpture or a few very weak lines.

Comments. This species is known mainly from eastern North America (Mound & O’Neill 1974), although a few individuals have been recorded from Panama, Hawaii , Australia and India, and a single male specimen is here recorded from Malaysia. In both sexes the pronotum bears strong lines of sculpture that form an hour-glass shape ( Fig. 5 ; see also Figs 8 & 10 in Mound & O’Neill, 1974). In contrast, the sculpture lines of the new species described below are both considerably weaker and more extensive.

Specimens examined: Peninsular Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Templer Park , 1 male from fern, 3.viii.2012 (Ng, Y.F.)

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Merothrips species. M. floridensis (female) 1–4: (1) head & pronotum; (2) meso & metanotum; (3) antenna; (4) abdominal segments VIII–X.M.morgani (male)5–6:(5)head & pronotum; (6)fore leg (right).

FIGURES7–13. Merothrips yii sp.n.(7) head;(8) pronotum; (9)fore tibia& tarsus(right); (10)antenna; (11) prosternites; (12) meso &metanota;(13) tergites VIII–X.