Distinguishing features

Female macroptera. Body yellow, anterior margin of head light brown; antecostal ridges dark on tergites III–VIII and on sternites V–VII; fore wings strongly shaded in basal half but paler toward apex; antennal segment I pale, III–VIII dark. Head with vertex bearing transversely anastomosing striae, ocellar region transversely striate; ocellar setae pair III further apart than their length, rising near margins of ocellar triangle; two pairs of post-ocular setae longer than ocellar setae III. Pronotum with transverse striae wavy and widely separated; posteromarginal setae S2 slightly longer than width of antennal segment II. Metanotum weakly longitudinally reticulate, median setae close to margin. Fore wing scale with 3 marginal setae; first vein setae 3+2+1+1+1; second vein 2 setae; posteromarginal fringe cilia wavy except near apex. Tergite I without discal setae, III–V median setae longer than distance between bases; tergal microtrichial fields with 3 discal setae; VIII with no discal microtrichia medially, posteromarginal comb complete; tergite IX with discal microtrichia on posterior half. Sternites with microtrichial fields extending almost to setae S2.
Male not known.

Related species

The genus Scirtothrips comprises over 100 described species worldwide, with 21 species known from Australia most of which are endemics to this continent. These species all have the lateral thirds of the abdominal tergites covered in closely spaced rows of fine microtrichia, and in many species the sternites also bear similar microtrichia. The antennae are 8-segmented, except in S. casuarinae and S. solus, both fore wing veins have an irregular and incomplete setal row, and a median spinula is present on both the meso and metafurca.

Biological data

Presumably feeding and breeding on young leaves, and recorded as a minor pest in glasshouses, associated with Begonia spp [Begoniaceae].

Distribution data

Belgium (greenhouses in Brussels), Italy, Madeira, Australia (Lord Howe Island).

Family name

THRIPIDAE - THRIPINAE

Species name

Scirtothrips longipennis (Bagnall)

Original name and synonyms

Euthrips longipennis Bagnall, 1909: 173
Euthrips parvus Moulton, 1911: 15.

References

Hoddle MS & Mound LA (2003) The genus Scirtothrips in Australia (Insecta, Thysanoptera, Thripidae). Zootaxa 268: 1–40. http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2003f/zt00268.pdf

zur Strassen R (2003) Die terebranten Thysanopteren Europas und des Mittelmeer-Gebietes. Die Tierwelt Deutschlands 74: 1–271.