Hydatothrips tricinctus (Hood)

(Figs 5, 82, 83)

Sericothrips tricinctus Hood, 1928: 231.

Female macroptera. Colour: body bicoloured (Fig. 82), generally brown but yellow on pronotum, abdominal segments I, IV–VI and IX–X; fore wing dark with white sub-basal area and paler area at apex; antennal segments I–III largely pale but IV brown; hind femora pale brown, hind tibiae brownish yellow.

Structure: Occipital apodeme almost confluent with posterior margin of eyes, ocellar area with widely spaced transverse striae (Fig. 5); antennal segments III & IV with constricted apical neck; pronotum with anterior area broadly reticulate with no markings between the major lines, blotch weakly-defined (Fig. 5); mesonotum and metanotum with widely spaced striae; fore wing second vein with no setae; tergites II–VI without complete comb of microtrichia on posterior margin; tergite IX with 4 pairs of mid-dorsal setae.

Male macroptera. Similar to female, but smaller (Fig. 83); tergite VII mostly pale with suffused brown area medially; sternites III–VIII with transverse pore plates.

Material studied. BRAZIL, Santa Catarina State, Nova Teutônia [Seara], 11 females and 1 male from dead grasses, vi.1957 (F. Plaumann) (USNM); Rio Grande do Sul State, Porto Alegre, 1 male and 1 female on grass, 14.ii.2011 (F.S.Melo & A.Cavalleri) (UFRGS); Piaui State, Bom Jesus, 1 female from soybeans, 8.xi.2011, 1 female from same locality and host, 30.vii.2012 (E.F.B.Lima) (UFPI).

Comments. In addition to the material listed above, the holotype of this species from Martinique, also paratypes from Guadeloupe, Dominica and Trinidad, were examined during visits to the USNM collections. The specimens from Brazil differ from the Caribbean specimens in having the pronotal blotch yellow, in contrast to the white of the rest of the pronotum.