Tryphactothrips rutherfordi (Bagnall)

Tyagi, Kaomud, Singha, Devkant, Pakrashi, Avas, Das, Moumita & Kumar, Vikas, 2020, Tryphactothrips rutherfordi (Bagnall) (Thysanoptera, Panchaetothripinae): first description of the male, Zootaxa 4728 (3), pp. 395-397 : 395-396

Tryphactothrips rutherfordi (Bagnall)

This species was described as Dinurothrips rutherfordi based on two females collected on Allamanda leaves at Peradeniya, Sri Lanka ( Bagnall, 1915: 319). Later, Wilson (1975) referred to three females of this species from Tamil Nadu state of India.

Male macroptera. Body brownish yellow ( Fig. 2 ); antennal segments yellow, but last segment with brown shading; fore wing pale with two brown bands, base brown, apex yellow; setae brown with apical third pale; legs brown with apical third of tibiae yellow, hind tibiae yellow, all tarsi yellow. Head with raised sculpture anteriorly except posterior dorsal collar ( Fig. 3 ); cheeks with wide flange of raised sculpture laterally; ocelli larger than ommatidia, ocellar hump enlarged. Antennae apparently 7-segmented, segments VI–VII forming a compact unit with complete suture; III and IV each with sense cone simple and one additional ventral sense cone on segment IV ( Fig. 5 ). Pronotum with raised sculpture anteriorly ( Fig. 4 ). Mesonotum anterior margin with median notch, median setae far from posterior margin ( Fig. 7 ). Metanotum triangle distinct, with polygonal reticulations, campaniform sensilla present in posterior half; median setae near posterior margin far from anterior margin. Fore wing with upper vein fused with costa at fork on veins, vein with irregular row of pointed setae, posterior fringes wavy. Tarsi 1-segmented. Abdominal tergite I with a pair of minute setae, widely spaced; surface weakly reticulated; tergite II waist-like, surface smooth medially, sides with stout raised looping rod like processes; tergites III–VIII and sternites III–VII with clusters of round areolae ( Figs 8 –9); tergites VII and VIII with one pair of sigmoid setae laterally at posterior margin; tergite VIII posterior margin without microtrichia; tergite IX with three pairs of long, stout setae; tergite X completely divided; sternites without pore plates.

Measurements in microns. Distended body length 1100. Head, length 108; width across eyes 163; width across cheeks 160. Pronotal median length 92, width 166. Fore wing length 600, width at middle 31. Antennal length 232, segments II–VII length (width) as follows: 31 (23), 63 (15), 45 (18), 35 (17), 14 (15), 16 (4), V–VII length 80.

Female macroptera: Body dark yellowish brown with terminal abdominal segments lighter ( Fig. 1 ); antennae completely yellow; legs brown with the extreme apex of tibiae yellow; tarsi yellow. Head covered by a network of raised sculpture except for the broad posterior dorsal collar; postocular setae 3 and 4 developed. Antennae apparently 6-segmented, V–VII forming a compact unit ( Fig. 6A ). Pronotum with raised sculpture restricted to anterior third. Mesoscutum notched on anterior median border. Metascutal triangle distinct. Abdominal tergite I weakly reticulate, with a pair of minute widely spaced setae; tergite II constricted at base, waist-like; median part smooth, sides covered by raised looping rod like processes; segments III–VI each dorsally and ventrally with clusters of rounded areolae; tergite VIII without comb of microtrichia on hind margin; X asymmetrical.

Sexual dimorphism. Sexual dimorphism in Thysanoptera is reported mainly in the families Aeolothripidae , Heterothripidae , Stenurothripidae and subfamily Thripinae , but is rare in subfamilies Panchaetothripinae , Sericothripinae and Dendrothripinae ( Tyagi et al. 2008) . Specimens of Tryphactothrips rutherfordi show sexual dimorphism in the appearance of antennal segments V–VII. The antenna is apparently 6-segmented in females (V–VII forming a compact unit) and but 7-segmented in males (VI–VII formed a compact unit with suture). Antennal segment VI of male has a complete suture that is apparently absent in females ( Figs 6A, B ).

Figures

FIGURES 1-8. Tryphactothrips rutherfordi. (1) Female. (2) Male. (3) Head, male. (4) Pronotum, male. (5) Antennal segment II–IV, male. (6A) Antenna, female. (6B) Antenna, male. (7) Meso and metanota, male. (8) Abdominal tergites IV–V, male. (9) Abdominal sternites III–IV, male.