Macrophthalmothrips usingeri, Moulton, 1942

Moulton, Dudley, 1942, Thysanoptera: Thrips of Guam, Insects of Guam I, Bernice P. Bishop Museum Bulletin, pp. 7-16 : 11

11. Macrophthalmothrips usingeri , new species.

Male holotype: predominating color brown with red hypodermal pigment; top of head brown, sides lighter and yellowish; eyes black; prothorax with a median brownish patch and lighter at the sides; pterothorax mostly brown; abdomen mostly brown with whitish areas at sides of segments two to seven, segments eight to ten uniformly deep brown. Antenna! segments 1 and 2 clear yellow, 3 light brownish yellow, 4 brownish yellow in basal half, brown in distal half, 5 to 8 dark brown with 5 and 6 lighter at extreme bases. All coxae deep brown; otherwise fore legs clear yellow except the blackish thickening at base of femora, a blackish area on outer third quarter of tibia and dark spot on tarsus. Middle and hind femora blackish brown in basal two-thirds, whitish yellow in distal third; middle and hind tibiae blackish brown in middle third, whitish yeUow in basal and distal thirds. Wings clear. Spines clear. Eyes occupying entire front of head; cheeks swollen behind eyes, bearing a group of three short, stout, transparent spurs on each side at crest of swelling. Each of enlarged fore femora with an armature on inner side at end of basal third which is about one third as long as the width of femur at this point. Three or four stout transparent spurs on dorsal surface at base of armature and one other on inner margin half way between base of armature and end of femur. Mouth cone long, extending part way over mesosternum. Six double fringe hairs on each forewing.

Total body length, abdomen distended, 1.82 mm.; head length 0.259 mm., width 0.17 mm.; mouth cone 0.220 mm. long. Antenna! segments length (width): I completely covered by eyes; II, 40 (26); III, 80 (20); IV, 63 (23); V, 50 (20); VI, 63 (20); VII, 36; VIII, 23 microns. "\i\Tidthof fore femora 0.090 mm., length of spur in inner margin 0.030 mm.

Machanao, May 30, on algae-covered bark, holotype male, Usinger , after whom the species is named (5489).

This species is characteristic of the genus. Its nearest relative is probably narcissus Hood found in the Panama Canal Zone. In narcissus the abdomen is "darkest at base and much paler distally" while in usingeri the last three abdominal segments are deep brown and much darker than the preceding segments. In narcissus the fore femora are "pale yellowish white at either encl, middle portion pale brownish and usually darker ventrally" while in usingeri the fore femora are entirely clear yellow with only a blackened basal ring. In pulchellus all femora are blackish brown.