Scirtothrips temengorensis, Y. F. Ng & L. A. Mound, 2016

Y. F. Ng & L. A. Mound, 2016, Two new species of Scirtothrips genus-group (Thripidae) of Northern Peninsular Malaysia, Zootaxa 4088 (1), pp. 141-145 : 143-145

Scirtothrips temengorensis sp.n.

( Figs 9–17 )

Female macropterous. Body pale with brown markings, head, pronotum and legs uniformly pale; antennal segments I–II pale, III─VIII shaded ( Fig. 17 ); fore wing slightly shaded including clavus but gradually paler on apical third ( Fig. 14 ); abdominal tergites III─VIII shaded medially including antecostal ridges ( Fig. 12 ); all abdominal sternites pale but antecostal ridges broad and dark brown.

Head wider than long; ocellar setae I and II arising in front of fore ocellus, III on ocellar triangle margins; four to five pairs of postocular setae; mouth-cone not extending beyond posterior margin of pronotum, compound eyes with pigmented ommatidia ventrally. Antennae 8-segmented, segment I without dorsal apical setae; II with inner dorsal apical seta longest, without CPS, with six rows of microtrichia dorsally, but these rows absent on ventral surface; III–VI with five to six rows of microtrichia on both surfaces. Pronotum wider than long, with about 28 fine setae, uniformly and closely transversely striate; no long posteroangular setae, 3 pairs of posteromarginal setae, second pair the longest ( Fig. 10 ). Mesonotum with close transverse striae, no anterior CPS, median setae arising at middle, submedian setae arising at posterior margin. Metanotum with convex close transverse striae at anterior margin, irregular lines at middle, lateral area with longitudinal lines; median and submedian setae situated near or at anterior margin, without CPS. Mesosternum with about 24 fine setae, endofurca with weak spinula. Metasternum with about 12 long and fine setae ( Fig. 16 ), endofurca with spinula. Fore wing first vein with 3+12 setae on basal two-thirds, apical third with 2 setae beyond distinct gap; second vein with 3 setae; clavus with 4 veinal and one discal setae; posteromarginal fringe cilia straight. Tarsi 2- segmented; abdominal tergites II–VIII with closely spaced rows of microtrichia on lateral thirds, S1 setae arising close together and with more than three pairs of discal setae in microtrichial field; tergite VIII with rows of microtrichia extending across segment on anterior half, with complete posteromarginal comb ( Fig. 12 ); tergite IX with rows of microtrichia extending across but no anterior CPS. Sternites II–VII fully covered by rows of microtrichia, posterior margin with complete comb of microtrichia; sternite II with 2 pairs of long posteromarginal setae, III–VII with 3 pairs of long posteromarginal setae ( Fig. 13 ).

Measurements of holotype (in microns). Distended body length 940. Head, length 60; width across cheeks 130; vertex length 20–22. Pronotum median length 90; width 140. Metascutal median setae 61; submedian setae 21. Fore wing length 530. Antennal segments I–VIII length (width): 13 (20), 30 (21), 42 (17), 36 (16), 33 (16), 36 (16), 4 (7), 7 (4).

Male. Similar in colour and sculpture to female, except body smaller, head with three pairs of postocular setae; fore wing first vein with 3 + 6 setae on basal half, 3 setae with distinct gap on apical half; second vein with one seta; abdominal tergites II─VIII median marking faded, with only two pairs of discal setae on microtrichial field; tergite IX without drepanae; tergite X with a pair of long, broad and striate setae on lateral side ( Fig. 15 ).

Material studied. Holotype female: MALAYSIA, Perak, Royal Belum State Park (Sg. Kejar), on Mimosa pudica [ Fabaceae ] (semalu), 8–11.ix.2015 (Ng, Y.F.) (in CISUKM). Paratypes: one female and one male collected with holotype (in CISUKM and ANIC).

Etymology. The species name refers to the Temengor Lake in the Belum-Temengor forest complex.

Comments. This species is unique within the genus Scirtothrips , indeed within the Thripidae , for the presence on tergite X of the male of a pair of broad, elongate and striate setae. Females are also unusual in that sternites II–VI are fully covered with microtrichia, a condition previously recorded only for the Malaysian species, lantanae. The common pest species, S. dorsalis , is similar in general appearance and has most of the sternal area extensively covered with microtrichia but with the anterior third of each sternite free of microtrichia (Mound & Palmer 1981).

Figures

FIGURES 9 – 17. Scirtothrips temengorensis sp. n: (9) Head; (10) Pteronota; (11) Abdominal tergites I – IV; (12) Abdominal tergites VI – X; (13) Sternites IV – VII; (14) Fore wing; (15) Male abdominal segment X; (16) Meso- and metasterna; (17) Antennal segments I − VIII.