Ficothrips, Minaei, Kambiz, 2012

Minaei, Kambiz, 2012, Ficothrips, a new genus of Thripinae Thysanoptera from Iran, Zootaxa 3361, pp. 63-68 : 63-64

Ficothrips gen. n.

Diagnosis. Macropterous Thripinae . Antennae 9-segmented, segment I with no median dorso-apical setae, II with dorsal outer and inner setae subequal, III–IV with short forked sensoria, on IV longer than III, segments II–IV with few microtrichia, VI narrowed to base but not pedicellate. Head wider than long ( Fig. 3 ); cheeks rounded; mouthcone not elongate and more or less pointed at apex with maxillary palps 3-segmented; compound eyes with 6 pigmented facets ventrally ( Fig. 2 ); ocellar setae pair I present, pair III arising within triangle, between anterior margins of posterior ocelli; 4–5 pairs of postocular setae, pairs 1–3 separated from 4 by a gap.

Pronotum surface with faint transverse reticulation, discal setae relatively long; with long setae as follows: anteromarginal 1 pair, posteroangular 2 pairs, posteromarginal 1 pair ( Fig. 3 ). Prosternal basantra with no setae; ferna continuous medially; spinasternum transverse, mesosternum with sternopleural suture complete, furca with spinula, acrotergites with 4 setae on each side. Metasternum without furcal spinula, mesosternum and metasternum with many long discal setae. Mesonotal anterior campaniform sensilla present, median pair of setae long and distant from posterior margin. Metanotal sculpture weakly linear/reticulate on posterior half; median setae near anterior margin, no campaniform sensilla ( Fig. 4 ). Tarsi 2-segmented. Fore wing slender, first vein with 3 widely spaced setae on distal half; second vein with few widely spaced setae ( Fig. 5 ); clavus with 4 veinal and 1 discal seta ( Fig. 6 ); posterior fringe wavy.

Abdominal tergites weakly sculptured medially; without ctenidia or craspeda, campaniform sensilla absent on tergite I, posterolateral to median setae on tergites II–VIII and far from posterior margin ( Fig. 7 ); IX with 1 pair of campaniform sensilla, X without longitudinal split. Sternites without discal setae, posterior margin with no craspedum; sternite II with 2 pairs of marginal setae, III–VII with 3 pairs. Pleurotergite I without discal setae, II–VIII with 3–4 discal setae situated close to tergite ( Fig. 8 ).

Male without pore plates on sternites ( Fig. 9 ); tergite IX posterior margin with pair of curved and divided processes ( Fig. 10 ).

Type-species Ficothrips moundi sp.n.

Comments. This monobasic genus is superficially similar to Scolothrips or Parascolothrips and the many differences among them are discussed below. The position of the pleurotergal discal setae is particularly unusual among Thripidae .

Genus Origin Number of species* Agalmothrips Priesner Palearctic 1 Anaphothrips Uzel Old World 78 Cestrothrips Priesner Palearctic 1 Chilothrips Hood Neotropics 5 Coremothrips Hood Neotropics 2 Corynothrips Williams Neotropics 3 Dendrothrips Uzel Paleotropics 52 Enneothrips Hood Neotropics 5 Eremiothrips Priesner Palearctic 18 Hemianaphothrips Priesner Holarctic 3 Odontanaphothrips Moulton Neotropics 1 Oxythrips Uzel Neotropics 50 Palmiothrips Bhatti Mediterranean 1 Proscirtothrips Karny Neotropics 1 Psectrothrips Hood Neotropics 7 Pseudothrips Hinds Neotropics 6 Psydrothrips Palmer & Mound Neotropics 2 Rhabdothrips Hood Neotropics 1 Systenothrips Hood Neotropics 1 [* few species in Dendrothrips and Oxythrips have 9 antennal segments, most species in Anaphothrips with 9 antennal segments; 2 species in Eremiothrips have 8 antennal segments]

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. (1) Fig garden (mixed with grape), Badjgah, type locality. F. moundi (2) head, ventral; (3) head & pronotum; (4) mesonotum & metanotum; (5) fore wing; (6) clavus (7) abdominal tergites VIII – X; (8) abdominal pleurotergites.

FIGURES 9 – 10. F. moundi (9) male sternites III – VII; (10) male tergite IX.