Stenchaetothrips hullikali Tyagi & Kumar, 2008

Ng, Y. F. & Mound, L. A., 2012, The Stenchaetothrips species (Thysanoptera, Thripidae) of Malaysia, with one new species, Zootaxa 3357, pp. 56-62 : 57-58

Stenchaetothrips hullikali Tyagi & Kumar

Female macroptera. Body bicoloured, head, thorax and abdominal tergite I brownish yellow; head at anterior, and mesothorax laterally, slightly darker; tergites II–X dark brown ( Fig. 12); antennal segment I and base of II pale brown, III yellow, IV–VII brown; all legs yellow; fore wing pale sub-basally and at apex, brown medially ( Fig. 16), clavus slightly shaded at base. Head wider than long; ocellar setae II scarcely longer than III ( Figs 13, 14); postocellar setae III about twice as long as setae I and II. Pronotum with about 16 discal setae, median area almost smooth or with very weak transverse striations; 2 pairs of long postero-angular setae, 3 pairs of postero-marginal setae, median pair longer than submedian setae. Mesonotum with a pair of anterior campaniform sensilla. Metanotum with closely spaced striations, campaniform sensilla absent, median setae close together near anterior margin ( Fig. 15). Meso- and metafurca each without a spinula. Metasternum with about 16 discal setae. Abdominal tergites VI–VIII with paired ctenidia, V with a very weak pair; tergites I–VII posterior margin laterally sometimes with a few minute teeth or microtrichia; VIII with a complete comb of long, slender microtrichia ( Fig. 11); submedian setae on VIII not extending beyond posterior margin; IX with anterior pair of campaniform sensilla present ( Fig. 11). Sternites V–VII with margin smooth, without rows of minute teeth or microtrichia ( Fig. 9).

Male macroptera. Similar to female but smaller; tergites II–VII posterior margin with more extensive microtrichial teeth than in female, on IV–VII the row almost complete; tergite VIII posterior margin with row of microtrichial teeth not quite complete, unlike that on the female; sternites III–VII with oval pore plates, pore plates reaching submedian posteromarginal setae.

Specimens studied. MALAYSIA, Selangor, Kota Damansara Forest Reserve , 4 females, 1 male on grass, 19.iv.2011 (Ng, Y.F. & Eow, L.X.) ( CISUKM; ANIC) .

Comments. This species is here identified by comparison with the original description and illustrations of S. hullikali . However, the specimens listed bear unusually long post ocellar setae III that are about twice as long as setae pair II, and antennal segment I is shaded in contrast to the original description. In India, this species was collected from Oryza sativa , the major host plant of S. biformis . However, the Malaysian specimens were taken from unidentified grasses, and there is no evidence that this thrips might be specific on any particular species of Poaceae .