Ecacanthothrips andrei Palmer & Mound

Ecacanthothrips andrei Palmer & Mound

(Figs 1–2, 56–64)

Ecacanthothrips andrei Palmer & Mound, 1978: 158–160.

This species was described from Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, and is included in the tibialis -group. Pelikan (2000) examined one female and one male of this species collected from Sumatra, Indonesia, but did not indicate detailed data. It is now recorded from Thailand and Bali Is., Indonesia, for the first time based on a good number of females and males. Although, two other members of the species-group, claricornis and tibialis, have more than 10 sense cones (about 40 in maximum) on rather enlarged antennal segment III, andrei have usually four or five (often three, rarely two) sense cones on comparatively slender segment III (Figs 58 & 59). Apparently, this sense cone number of andrei appears to recover a distinction between the genera Ecacanthothrips and Hoplandrothrips. However, the sense cones of andrei seem not to be homologous with those of Hoplandrothrips species as discussed above, judging from their form and position. This condition of the slender antennal segment III with small number of sense cones in andrei (Fig. 59) within Ecacanthothrips could because it evolved from a species that had enlarged segment III with larger number of sense cones, such as claricornis (Fig. 79), but is now the result of secondary reduction during evolution. In essence, amongst the genus Ecacanthothrips the condition of antennal segment and sense cones of andrei is an autapomorphy, not a plesiomorphy inherited from Hoplandrothrips.

Structural variation of this species is very similar to that of tibialis. However, it is mainly size related variation, and there is no conspicuous geographical variation. Similar to claricornis, andrei has the pelta bell-shaped, only one stout seta with blunt or dilated apex on each mid and hind femur in both sexes (Fig. 62), and has the anteromarginal pronotal setae elongate, much longer than anteroangular setae in large male. In consequence, andrei is undoubtedly more closely related to claricornis than to tibialis. Furthermore, andrei and claricornis have allopatric distribution, although both are sympatric with tibialis.

Specimens examined. Peninsular Malaysia, Tapah, 1 male, on dead leaves, 26.vii.1976, SO; about 20km N from Kuala Lumpur, Templer Park, 37 females and 27 males, on dead leaves, 11–15.viii.1990, TN & SO; Cameron Highland, nr. Tanah Rata, Robinson water fall, 1 female, on dead leaves and branches, 28.viii.1990, TN & SO. Singapore, Macritchie Res., 1 female, on dead Palmae fronds, 1 female, on dead branches, 7.viii.1990, TN & SO. Indonesia, Bali Is., Tabanan, Bengkel, Pura Batu Selahan, 4 females and 3 males, 3.ix.2005, SO. Thailand, Phuket, Rang Hill, 12 females and 9 males, on dead leaves and branches, 14.ix.1992, TN & SO; Phuket, nr. Tonesai water fall, 1 female and 1 male, on bamboo, 23.viii.1991, TN & SO, same locality above, 15 females and 8 males, on dead leaves and branches, 11–12.ix.1992, TN & SO; nr. Chiang Mai, Mae Sa, 3 females and 6 males, on dead branches, 6.ix.1992, TN & SO.