Distinguishing features

Female macroptera. Body dark brown, head almost black; tergites III-VIII with antecostal ridges dark across full width of segments, on sternites III-VII shaded; fore wings uniformly but weakly shaded; antennal segments dark, segments III-V paler near base. Head broad across eyes, constricted to base; vertex not closely striate, with striae transversely anastomosing, ocellar region without lines of sculpture; bases of ocellar setae pair III closer together than their length, arising between midpoints of posterior ocelli; two pairs of post-ocular setae approximately as long as ocellar setae pair III; mouth cone long, extending between fore coxae. Antennae 7-segmented. Pronotum with transverse striae irregular and widely separated; posteromarginal setae S2 about twice length of S1, S3 subequal to S1. Metanotal reticulation almost equiangular, median setae well behind margin. Fore wing clavus with 3-4 marginal setae; first vein setae 3-4+6-7+1+1+0-1+0-1; second vein with 1 seta; posteromarginal fringe cilia straight. Tergites III-V median setae small and widely spaced, distance between bases at least 3.5 times their length; tergal microtrichial fields with 3 discal setae; VIII with no discal microtrichia, posteromarginal comb complete; tergite IX with no discal microtrichia. Sternites with lateral microtrichial fields weak, extending mesad of marginal setae S3, apparently absent on sternite VII.
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. S. solus and S. casuarinae are the only Scirtothrips species known to have 7-segmented antennae. Both species are known only from specimens taken from the foliage of Casuarina or Allocasuarina.

Biological data

Presumably feeding and breeding on the young phyllodes of Acacia spp [Mimosaceae], but some adults taken on Allocasuarina sp [Casuarinaceae].

Distribution data

Known only from Western Australia.

Family name

THRIPIDAE - THRIPINAE

Species name

Scirtothrips solus Hoddle & Mound

Original name and synonyms

Scirtothrips solus Hoddle & Mound, 2003: 30.

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