Neohydatothrips hemileucus (Hood)

(Figs 23, 47, 95, 96)

Sericothrips hemileucus Hood, 1952: 144 .

Female macroptera. Colour: body bicoloured (Fig. 95), head brown, pronotum yellow with posteroangular setae dark brown, mesonotum and metanotum brown, tergites II–IV light brown, V–VI yellow, VII dark brown, VIII–X yellow; fore wing with 3 dark and 3 pale bands, apex pale, clavus dark with stout dark setae; antennal segments I– II pale, III–IV yellow with light brown apices; hind tibiae yellow, femora shaded with light brown.

Structure: Occipital apodeme distant from eyes; ocellar area closely striate, postocular setae in longitudinal row close to eye (Fig. 23); antennal segments III & IV slender with an apical neck; pronotum transversely striate with no internal markings, blotch not defined except for anterior apodeme (Fig. 23); mesonotum and metanotum closely striate (Fig. 47); metasternal plate with shallow emargination; fore wing second vein with no setae; tergites VII–VIII with complete comb of long microtrichia on posterior margin, no comb medially on remaining tergites; tergite IX with 2 pairs of mid-dorsal setae.

Male macroptera. Similar to but smaller than female and tergite VIII brown (Fig. 96).

Material studied. Holotype female, BRAZIL, São Paulo State, Salesópolis, 8.vi.1948 (USNM) ; Santa Catarina State, Nova Teutônia [Seara], 16 females 2 males, v & x–xii.1949, xi.1955, and vii.1957, mainly from Solanum sp. and Balfourodendron licanum (USNM) ; São Paulo State, Piracicaba, 1 female from Dracena marginata colourama, 16.viii.1993 (E. Bergmann) (ESALQ) .

Comments. Described from 2 females from São Paulo (vi.1948), and one from Nova Teutônia (i.1949), the structure of the head with the transverse apodeme far behind the eyes is unusual, as are the slender antennae.