Thrips maculicollis (Hood)

Mound, Laurence A. & Masumoto, Masami, 2005, The genus Thrips (Thysanoptera, Thripidae) in Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand, Zootaxa 1020 (1), pp. 1-64 : 33-34

Thrips maculicollis (Hood)

Physothrips maculicollis Hood, 1918: 122

Diagnosis: Female brown, tarsi and tibiae yellow with brown shadings; antennal segment III yellow; forewings pale in basal quarter, then brown but slightly paler to apex. Antennae 8­segmented; ocellar setae III arise outside ocellar triangle; postocular setae II about half length of seta I. Pronotum broad with weak transverse markings, discal setae relatively small. Mesonotum transversely striate on posterior half, no lines close to anterior campaniform sensilla. Metanotum reticulate medially ( Fig. 51 ), median setae arise at anterior margin, campaniform sensilla present. Forewing first vein with 7 setae basally and 3 widely spaced setae on distal half, clavus with subterminal seta longer than terminal seta. Abdominal tergite II with 4 lateral setae; tergite I covered with lines of sculpture, II–VIII with no lines of sculpture extending mesad to campaniform sensilla; tergite VIII comb with a few teeth laterally; tergite X as long as VIII ( Fig. 50 ); sternite II with 4 discal setae, III–VII with 12–16 discal setae; pleurotergites without discal setae.

Male yellow, antennal segments IV–VIII brown, wings slightly shaded, sternites III– VII with large transverse glandula area.

Breeding: On New Caledonia, a substantial population with larvae was found in the flowers of Fagraea schlechteri (Loganiaceae) . A few females were also taken from the orange flowers of an unidentified member of the Apocynaceae , as well the white flowers of a member of Cunoniaceae . No host records are available for the few specimens known from Australia.

Distribution: Although described from Australia, only a few specimens are known and these were taken near Cairns in northern Queensland. In contrast, many specimens of both sexes have been taken in New Caledonia ( Bournier & Mound, 2000).

Relationships: This species used to be placed in the genus Lefroyothrips but was recognized as a Thrips species by Mound (1996a). In the form of the head, pronotum, mesonotum, metanotum and forewing clavus it is similar to T. longicaudatus , but the terminal abdominal segments are short, and there are few setae on the first vein of the forewing.

Figures

FIGURES 49–59. Thrips species. T. longicaudatus (49) Tergites VIII–X. T. maculicollis 50–51: (50) Tergites VII–X; (51) Meso­metanota. T. malloti (52) Meso­metanota, female from Java; (53) Metanotum, female from Queensland. T. martini 54–59: (54) Head & pronotum; (55) Meso­metanota; (56) Teneral female; (57) Sternites II–III; (58) Tergites VII–VIII; (59) Tergites III–IV.