Scirtothrips dobroskyi Moulton

Scirtothrips dobroskyi Moulton

[Figs 10, 31]

Scirtothrips dobroskyi Moulton, 1936: 264 ­265.

This species was described from a male and a female taken from tomato in Manila, The Philippines, and was recorded from Australia by Palmer & Mound (1983) on a single female taken near Brisbane. As in S. australiae, the pronotal posteromarginal setae S2 are particularly long, more than 50 microns, although the postocular setae S1 are scarcely longer than the length of a posterior ocellus. S. dobroskyi has now been collected from a diverse range of plants in the tropical and sub­tropical parts of Australia, from coastal areas of Northern Territory (N.T.), east through Queensland (QLD) and south into New South Wales (N.S.W.) to as far south as Bateman’s Bay. Label data indicate that the species has been taken from the following plants, and an asterisk* indicates that second instar larvae (Fig. 63) were found in association with adults:

(N.T.) Bougainvillea sp. [Nyctaginaceae], * Cassytha sp. [Lauraceae], Citrus sp. [Rutaceae], Cuphea sp. flowers [Lythraceae], Lantana camara flowers [Verbenaceae], * Mangifera indica [Anacardiaceae], pepper leaf;

(QLD) Euodia sp.* [Rutaceae], Eupatorium riparium [Asteraceae], Physalis minima [Solanaceae], Pteridium sp.* [Dennstaedtiaceae], chilli;

(N.S.W.) Cissus antarcticum [Vitaceae], Ligustrum sp. [Oleaceae], * Pteridium sp. young fronds.

Female macroptera. Colour: Yellow; frons shaded between bases of antennae; tergites without dark areas but antecostal ridges on III­VIII dark across full width of segments, on sternites III­VII shaded full width of segments; forewings darkly shaded; antennal segments III­VIII dark with bases of segments III­IV pale, segment 1 pale, II variable.

Structure: Vertex with closely spaced and transversely anastomosing striae, ocellar region with transversely reticulate sculpturing; bases of ocellar setae pair III usually separated approximately by less than the length of these setae, arising almost on tangent between anterior margins of posterior ocelli; two pairs of post­ocular setae. Pronotum with anastomosing transverse striae widely spaced; 2­4 anteromarginal setae, 12­16 discal setae; 4 pairs of posteromarginal setae, S2 50 ­55 microns long, about 3 times the length of S1, S3 subequal to S4 and shorter than S1. Metanotum transversely reticulate anteriorly, but longitudinally or equiangular reticulate posteriorly; median setae not at anterior margin. Forewing scale with 3­5 marginal setae; first vein setae 3+1­3+1+1+1; second vein 2­ 3 setae; proximal posteromarginal fringe cilia straight. Bases of median tergal setae on III­ V separated by no more than the length of these setae, positioned anterior to a line joining tergal discal setae; tergal microtrichial fields with 3 discal setae; VIII with no discal microtrichia anteromedially, posteromarginal comb complete, IX with weak microtrichia on posterior half. Sternites III­VI with 3 long pairs of posteromarginal setae; microtrichia scarcely mesad of S2.

Male macroptera. Similar to female in colour and sculpture; tergite IX with pair of dark drepanae curving dorsally; aedeagus apparently without spines.