Takethrips megas Nonaka & Jangvitaya

Mound, Laurence A., 2011, Grass-dependent Thysanoptera of the family Thripidae from Australia, Zootaxa 3064, pp. 1-40 : 36-37

Takethrips megas Nonaka & Jangvitaya

( Figs 90–92 )

Takethrips megas Nonaka & Jangvitaya, 1993: 744

Described from Thailand, where it was collected on bamboo at Bangkok and Phuket Island, this species is recorded here from Australia on a single female that was collected on Yam Island, Torres Strait Islands. The identification is based on the original description, and a series of photomicrographs kindly prepared by Dr Masami Masumoto. The specimen from Yam Island differs from the Thailand specimens in having the median pair of setae on the mesonotum arising in front of the posterior margin, not at the margin, and in having the median dorsal setae on tergite IX arising lateral to the campaniform sensilla, not anterior to these sensilla. However, the metanotal sculpture ( Fig. 90 ) seems to be distinctive.

Female macroptera. Body light brown with median abdominal segments paler; antennal II–IV yellow; fore wings pale with second quarter shaded. Head elongate, cheeks incut behind eyes; ocellar setae pair I absent about 6 eye facets weakly pigmented; mouth cone large, extending between fore coxae, maxillary palps 3-segmented. Antennae 8-segmented, I with paired dorso-apical setae, sensoria on III–IV simple. Pronotum without sculpture, apart from posterior sub-marginal line; notopleural sutures apparently extending along lateral margins of pronotum; 4 pairs of posteromarginal setae, none elongate. Prosternal ferna weakly joined medially; meso and metafurcae without spinula. Metanotum with complex sculpture ( Fig. 90 ). Fore wing first vein with 3 + 2 + 2 setae; second vein with 8 setae; clavus with 4 veinal and one discal setae; posterior cilia strongly wavy. Abdominal tergites without sculpture medially, no ctenidia laterally; VIII with no marginal comb ( Fig. 92 ), IX with one pair of campaniform sensilla, X with no dorsal split. Sternites II–VII each with 3 pairs of marginal setae, often arising submarginally, no discal setae; ovipositor very weak ( Fig. 91 ).

Figures

FIGURES 86 – 92. Stenchaetothrips and Takethrips spp. Sten. indicus 86 – 89: (86) head; (87) meso & metanota; (88) tergites VI – VIII; (89) pronotum. Takethrips megas 90 - 92: (90) meso & metanota; (91) ovipositor; (92) tergites VII-X.