Mycterothrips betulae (Crawford)

Okajima, Masami Masumoto And Shûji, 2006, A revision of and key to the world species of Mycterothrips Trybom (Thysanoptera, Thripidae), Zootaxa 1261 (1261), pp. 1-90 : 30-32

Mycterothrips betulae (Crawford)

( Figs. 34–40)

Taeniothrips salicis (Reuter) ; Hood, 1927: 215. Misidentification ( O'Neill, 1972: 278). Taeniothrips betulae Crawford, 1939: 71 , 74.

Physothrips betulae (Crawford) ; Priesner, 1957: 161.

Mycterothrips betulae (Crawford) ; Bhatti, 1969: 378.

Diagnosis: Body uniformly brown; antennal segment III brownish yellow; fore wings brown. Head with cheeks slightly rounded ( Fig. 34). Antennal segment II with microtrichia, VI slightly truncate ( Fig. 35). Pronotum with about 20 discal setae; anterior margin with six setae, median pair of setae slightly elongate ( Fig. 34). Mesonotum with a pair of CPS anteromedially; median pair of setae near posterior margin ( Fig. 36). Metascutum transversely reticulated medially and slightly concentric­like reticulation posteromedially; median pair of setae near anterior margin ( Fig. 36). Abdominal terga without ciliate microtrichia on lines of sculpture; terga II or III to VIII with a few (often weak) lines of sculpture except posteromedially ( Fig. 38), posterior margin of terga V to VII with microtrichia developed laterally; tergum II with four lateral marginal setae ( Fig. 37); terga VI to VIII with B4 setae minute; tergum IX with both anterior and posterior pairs of CPS; sterna without discal setae. Male has antennal segment VI slightly longer than that of female with 11 setae and some rows of microtrichia on both dorsal and ventral surface ( Fig. 39). Abdominal terga V to VIII with B4 setae minute; tergum IX with SB1 setae minute ( Fig. 40), CPS not visible in the available uncleared specimen; sternum VIII with a pair of discal setae near posterior margin. Hypomere expanded at apex.

Specimens examined. U.S.A.: Paratypes (2 females) of Taeniothrips betulae [Cwfd 502, Fort Lee N. J., on leaves Betula populiforia , 17­vii­1937, J. C. Crawford Coll.](USNM). 1 female, '' Taeniothrips salicis (Reuter) '', Slaterville, N. Y., leaves of Salix , v­1926, J. D. Hood (USNM) [misidentified by Hood ( O'Neill, 1972)]. 1 male, Wanakena, N. Y., 7­ix­1940, J. D. Hood (USNM).

Comments. A female labeled as '' Taeniothrips salicis (Reuter) '' has only a few very weak lines between B1 setae of some terga, but there are few differences between this female and the two paratype females listed above; this female was recognized subsequently as M. betulae (O’Neil, 1972) .