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Scirtothrips saturherminii (THYSANOPTERA: THRIPIDAE), NEW SPECIESFOR SCIENCE

 

Scirtothrips saturherminii (THYSANOPTERA: THRIPIDAE), NUEVA ESPECIE PARA LA CIENCIA

 

 

C. González*, AP. Retana-Zalazar** and Neisy Castillo*

*Department of Biology and Plant Protection. Faculty of Agronomy. Agrarian University of Havana Fructuoso Rodríguez Pérez. Carretera de Tapaste y Autopista Nacional. San José de las Lajas, Havana Province. E-mail: [e-mail], [e-mail], **Research Centre of Microscopic Structures. University of Costa Rica. E-mail: [e-mail]

 

 

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ABSTRACT

Scirtothrips saturherminii, collected on leaves of Bixa orellana L., in a protected ecosystem in San José de las Lajas, Havana Province, Cuba, is reported as a new species for science.

Key words: Scirtothrips saturherminii; thrips; Bixa orellana; protected ecosystem

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RESUMEN

Se informa Scirtothrips saturherminii, colectada sobre hojas de Bixa Orellana L., en un ecosistema protegido en San José de las Lajas, provincia La Habana, como una nueva especie para la ciencia.

Palabras clave: Scirtothrips saturherminii; thrips; Bixa orellana; ecosistema protegido

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The Orden Thysanoptera comprises small insects which can be found all over the world. From 5000 to 6000 species are included in this group and many of them have not been described yet (1).

Mound (2) considers that about 10000 species belonging to 750 genera may probably exist in the world. From the total of known species, 1600 have been identified in Central and South America.

In Cuba, many studies for detecting new species of thrips have been done on different crops and a considerable number of genera and species have been reported in the last years (3,4,5).

Within the genera needing to be studied, the genus Scirtothrips Shull is found. It that comprises 60 species all over the world and the majority of them belongs to tropical and subtropical regions with many of them remaining undescribed (1).

Accordingly, the objective of this work was to make a prospection for species of the genus Scirtothrips in a protected ecosystem.

To detect the presence of thrips, different species of plants were sampled in a protected ecosystem in the locality of San José de las Lajas, Havana Province, in 2009. The specimens were collected by striking the plants over a white cardboard. Adults were cleared and mounted on slides, for identification, regional taxonomic keys were used, Mound and Marullo (1) and Johansen and Mojica-Guzman (6). As a result a new species for science was found with the following description:

Description

Type species: Scirtothrips saturherminii González, Retana and Castillo, sp. n.

Female macropterous, color yellow, antennal segment I pale, the rest brown; antecostal ridge dark on tergites; forewing weakly shaded; Head with lines of sculpture in ocellar triangle forming irregular reticulation; ocellar setae III arising between the posterior ocelli. Pronotum closely striate; Pm setae II longer than I and III. Metanotum with elongate reticulation, median setae near anterior margin. Forewing scale with 3 veinal setae; second vein with 2 setae; posterior cilia wavy. Tergites II – V with median setae very small; microtrichial fields with 4 lateral setae; VIII with transverse rows of discal microtrichia in anterior position of the segment; IX with discal microtrichia; absent on X; sternites with microtrichia extending only on the lateral areas (Fig. 1).

Etimology: The species was named after the first author´s parents.

Comments: This new species has the ocellar setae III between the hind ocelli, a trait that is present only in the species Scirtothrips oligochaetus Mound and Marullo and S. astrictus Karny, however many other traits belonging to these species do not coincide with the new one. In the other hand, the comparison with the Mexican species of the genus Scirtothrips described by Johansen and Mojica-Guzman (6) shows different traits.

Measurements: (holotype female in microns): Body length 888. Head length 70; width 159. Pronotum length 89; width 177. Posteroangular setae I length 15. Metanotal median setae 19. Forewing length 536. Tergite median setae V 7. Distance between median setae bases 22. Antennal segments III – VIII 33, 37, 30, 41, 7, 11.

Holotype ♀. Cuba: Havana, San José de las Lajas, on Bixa orellana leaves, 5. vii. 2009.

 

REFERENCES

1. Mound LA, Marullo R. The thrips of Central and South America: An introduction (Insecta: Thysanoptera). Mem of Entoml Internat. 1996; 6:1-487.

2. Mound AL. Thysanoptera biodiversity in the Neotropics. Rev Biol Trop. 2002;50(2):477-484.

3. González C, Suris Moraima.Anisopilothrips venustulus (Priesner) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) nuevo informe para Cuba. Rev Protección Veg. 2009;24(2):131-133.

4. González C, Castillo Neisy.Trichromothrips Priesner, Salpingothrips Hood y Elixothrips Stadard y Mitri (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), nuevos géneros para Cuba. Rev Protección Veg. 2009;24(3):187-190.

5. Castillo Neisy, GonzálezC, Campos E. Hydatothrips sternalis Hood y Hoodothrips lineatus Hood (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), nuevos géneros y especies para Cuba. Rev Protección Veg. 2010;25(1):64-66.

6. Johansen RM, Mojica-Guzmán A. The genus Scirtothrips Schull, 1909 (Thysanoptera: Thripidae, Sericothripini) in Mexico. Folia Entomol Mex. 1999;104:23-108.

 

 

(Recibido 18-4-2010; Aceptado 14-6-2010)