Distinguishing features

Female macroptera. Body light brown with median abdominal segments paler; antennal segments II–IV yellow; fore wings pale with second quarter shaded. Antennae 8-segmented, I with paired dorso-apical setae, sense cone on III–IV simple. Head elongate, cheeks incut behind eyes; ocellar setae pair I absent; compound eye with about 6 weakly pigmented facets; mouth cone large, extending between fore coxae, maxillary palps 3-segmented. Pronotum without sculpture, apart from posterior sub-marginal line; 4 pairs of posteromarginal setae, none elongate. Prosternal ferna weakly joined medially; meso and metafurca without spinula. Metanotum with complex sculpture. Fore wing first vein with 3 + 2 + 2 setae; second vein with 8 setae; clavus with 4 veinal and one discal setae; posterior cilia strongly wavy. Abdominal tergites without sculpture medially, no ctenidia laterally; VIII with no marginal comb; IX with one pair of campaniform sensilla, X with no dorsal split. Sternites II–VII each with 3 pairs of marginal setae, often arising sub-marginally, no discal setae; ovipositor very weak.
Male not known.

Related species

The genus Takethrips includes only two species, both described from bamboos and grasses in Thailand. T. bambusae has a stout and serrated ovipositor that does not extend to the apex of the abdomen, whereas in T. megas the ovipositor is very weakly sclerotised with no marginal serrations. Yoshinothrips from Thailand and Japan is similar to Takethrips, but the three known species all have two pairs of long pronotal posteroangular setae, and the ovipositor stout and boldly serrated.

Biological data

Feeding and breeding on the leaves of Bambusa sp. [Poaceae].

Distribution data

Thailand and Australia (Queensland - Torres Strait Islands).

Family name

THRIPIDAE - THRIPINAE

Species name

Takethrips megas Nonaka & Jangvitaya

Original name and synonyms

Takethrips megas Nonaka & Jangvitaya, 1993: 744.

References

Mound LA (2011b) Grass-dependent Thysanoptera of the family Thripidae from Australia. Zootaxa 3064 : 1–40. http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2011/f/zt03064p040.pdf