Thrips acaciae Trybom

Thrips acaciae Trybom, 1910: 161

Thrips kikuyuensis Trybom, 1912: 6 syn.n. Thrips spadix Hood, 1932: 131 syn.n. Thrips hirtiventris Hood, 1932: 126

This is here interpreted as a widespread and variable species. Faure (1964) recognised that T. hirtiventris from Tanzania was a synonym. Trybom (1912) did not compare T. kikuyuensis from Kenya with T. acaciae that he had described previously (1910) from Namibia (Kalahari). However, a cotype of kikuyuensis has been examined and these two cannot be distinguished satisfactorily. One paratype female of T. spadix has been studied, and this is also considered to be a synonym, despite Hood indicating that the third antennal segment was rather longer. As discussed below, quadridentatus is possibly a further synonym of acaciae. Material recognisable as T. acaciae has been studied from Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Zululand, Namibia and Cameroon.

Diagnosis. Body and legs brown, tarsi and fore tibiae yellow; antennal segments I–II brown, III mainly yellow, IV–V yellow at base; forewing shaded with small white oval near base. Antennae 7-segmented. Ocellar setae III arising outside triangle (Fig. 1), shorter than distance between hind ocelli. Pronotum with many transverse sculpture lines not closely spaced, about 40 discal setae; posteroangular setae about 0.3 as long as pronotum; with 4 or 5 pairs of posteromarginal setae. Mesonotal anteromedian campaniform sensilla present. Metanotum medially with longitudinal row of large slightly elongate reticles (Fig. 2), median setae near but not at anterior margin, campaniform sensilla present or absent. Forewing first vein with 2–4 setae on distal half; clavus with 5–8 marginal setae and 1 discal seta (Fig. 2). Abdominal tergites with sculpture lines extending to setae S1; VIII posterior margin with weak but complete comb; pleurotergites with no discal setae, but with weakly dentate or slender microtrichia on widely spaced lines of reticulation (Fig. 3); sternites III–VII with more than 24 short discal setae in two irregular rows.