Thrips novocaledonensis (Bianchi)

Mound, Laurence A. & Masumoto, Masami, 2005, The genus Thrips (Thysanoptera, Thripidae) in Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand, Zootaxa 1020 (1), pp. 1-64 : 38

Thrips novocaledonensis (Bianchi)

Taeniothrips novocaledonensis Bianchi, 1945: 270

Diagnosis: Body brown, tarsi and apices of fore tibiae yellow; antennal segment III yellow; forewings brown with base paler. Antennae 8­segmented; ocellar setae III arise outside ocellar triangle; postocular setae I as long as ocellar setae III, postocular setae II about half as long as I. Pronotum with transverse markings, one pair of sublateral setae stouter than remaining discal setae. Mesonotum with lines of sculpture close to anterior campaniform sensilla. Metanotum ( Fig. 62 ) transversely striate on anterior half, with longitudinal but more widely spaced striations on posterior half, median setae arise at anterior margin, campaniform sensilla present. Forewing first vein with setal row variable, basal series with 9–12 then 2 or 3 near wing apex; clavus with subterminal seta shorter than terminal seta. Abdominal tergite II with 4 lateral setae; tergite VIII comb complete but short and irregular; sternites III–VII with 14–18 discal setae; pleurotergites with 0–3 discal setae ( Fig. 63 ). Male brown, pleurotergites usually with no discal setae, sternites III–VII with broad glandular area.

Breeding: Apparently breeding in the flowers of a range of herbs and shrubs in New Caledonia ( Bournier & Mound, 2000), this species was taken in considerable numbers from the flowers of Lantana on Norfolk Island, and has been intercepted in quarantine at Sydney in rose flowers from that territory.

Distribution: Described from New Caledonia, this species is known from Vanuatu and also from Norfolk Island where it appears to have become the dominant flower thrips.

Relationships: Despite the presence of pleurotergal discal setae, this species is considered to be closely related to Thrips hawaiiensis on the basis of most of its structural characters, particularly the metanotum.

Figures

FIGURES 60–71. Thrips species. T. nigropilosus 60–61: (60) Meso­metanota; (61) Tergites III–IV. T. novocaledonensis 62–63: (62) Meso­metanota; (63) Tergites & pleurotergites IV–V. T. obscuratus 64–67: (64) Head & pronotum; (65) Meso­metanota; (66) Tergites & pleurotergites III–IV; (67) Tergites VII–VIII. T.orientalis 68–69: (68) Meso­metanota; (69) Forewing clavus. T. pallisetis 70–71: (70) Meso­metanota; (71) Tergites VII–X.