Lefroyothrips lefroyi (Bagnall)

Li, Yajin & Zhang, Hongrui, 2024, Two new species of Lefroyothrips (Thysanoptera: Thripinae) from China, Zootaxa 5489 (1), pp. 92-98 : 95-98

Lefroyothrips lefroyi (Bagnall)

( Figs 13–25 )

Physothrips lefroyi Bagnall, 1913: 292 .

This species is widely distributed in Asian tropical areas and it is an agricultural pest damaging tea plant flowers ( Wang 2002). The “tea-flower thrips” as recognized here exhibits intra-specific color variations in females ( Figs 13– 20 ), resulting in confusion to agricultural workers. Typical lefroyi females have trapezoidal-shaped dark markings on the abdominal segments ( Fig. 19 ), fore wing with three small dark patches ( Fig. 23 ), and male with body yellow. During November 2009 to February 2010 more than 360 females and 480 males of Lefroyothrips were collected from different tea flowers in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province. We found that male specimens of lefroyi have the body yellow or pale in color, contrasting with the great color variation observed in females during this study. More than 200 females had abdominal segments yellow ( Fig. 14 ); about 10 females with tergites pale ( Fig. 13 ); 33 females each with a dark patch on tergites III/IV/V–VII ( Fig. 15 ). More than 100 females had tergites with brown or weak trapezoidal-shaped dark markings in the middle ( Figs 16–20 ). The numbers of dark patches on the fore wing varied from 0–3 ( Figs 23–25 ), and pteronota was found to be pale or yellow or brown. Antennae of male specimens also showed remarkable color difference when compared with female individuals ( Figs 21–22 ). Mound and Ng (2021) discussed the structural variations observed in the six species of this genus, and the lefroyi species recorded here have not been discovered these conditions.

Material studied. CHINA, Yunnan Province, Xishuangban , 364 females and 482 males, from Camellia sinensis , x.2009 – ii.2010 (Mao Jia-mei) . Xishuangbanna tropical botanical garden (26°05'53"N, 102°15'37"E), 2 females from Pronephrium sp. , 8 females from Sarcandra glabra , 1 female from Ipomoea batatas , 11.iii.2017; 4 females and 1 male from Mycetia gracilis , 1.viii.2018; Mengla County, Bubeng Village, 3 females, 2 males, unknown, 27.v.2018; Menglun Town , 4 females 3 males, from Asystasia gangetica , 2.vi.2018; Nabanhe National Nature Reserve , 1 female from Ipomoea batatas ; Mansha Village , Jinghong Industrial Park Management Committee , 2 female from Ipomoea sp. , 10.iii.2017 . Sichuan Province, Chengdu City , 2 females from tea, 3.x.2016, (Li Ya-jin) .

Figures

FIGURES 13–25. Lefroyothrips lefroyi. (13–20). Body color variation of female; (21) Antenna of female; (22) Antenna of male; (23–25) Variation of fore wing.