Kenyattathrips katarinae Mound, 2009

Thripinae, Thripidae, Terebrantia, Thysanoptera

Figures

Fig. 1: Antennal segments III-VII, segments III and IV with forked sense cone, terminal segments V-VII
Fig. 2: Head dorsal with ocellar triangle, scape and pedicel of antennae
Fig. 3: Pronotum
Fig. 4: Meso- and metanotum
Fig. 5: Fore wing basal region, clavus
Fig. 6: Fore wing and fore wing distal region
Fig. 7: Tergites II and III
Fig. 8: Tergites IV and V, lateral region
Fig. 9: Tergites VII and VIII with posteromarginal comb
Fig. 10: Tergites VIII and IX

Kenyattathrips katarinae are found on leaves of khat (Catha edulis). Both sexes fully winged. Body bicolored; antennae mainly brown, segments III & IV yellow at base; head yellow medially, brown on anterior margin and posterolaterally; pronotal lateral thirds brown, yellow medially; meso- and metanotum with light brown markings laterally; legs yellow; tergites II-VIII brown medially but yellow laterally, tergal lateral setae dark, also terminal setae of abdomen; fore wings brown, paler toward apex, and with dark setae. Antennae 7-segmented; segments III & IV with long forked sense cone and apical neck, segment II with inner dorsal apical seta very long (Fig. 1). Head broad across and prolonged in front of compound eyes; vertex closely striate; 3 pairs of ocellar setae, pair I longer than pair III and arising far forward on broad inter-antennal projection, pair III small and arising on anterior margins of ocellar triangle (Fig. 2). Pronotum with closely spaced transverse sculpture lines; posterior margin with 4 pairs of setae, pair I arising sub-marginally, II and III very long and equal in length, IV minute; 1 pair of very long setae anteromarginally and 1 pair moderately long laterally (Fig. 3). Meso- and metafurca with spinula. Metanotum weakly reticulate medially; median setae arise behind margin; campaniform sensilla absent (Fig. 4). Mid and hind tarsi 2-segmented. Fore wing first vein with about 5 basal and 2 distal setae; second vein with a complete row of 7-8 setae; clavus with 3 veinal setae; posteromarginal cilia wavy (Fig. 5 and 6). Tergites II-VI with median setae small but close together (Fig. 7), VII & VIII with median setae longer and further apart, all with median setal pair longer than distance between their bases; II-VIII with lateral thirds covered with regular, closely spaced rows of fine microtrichia (Fig. 8); posterior margins of VII & VIII with complete comb of irregular and short microtrichia (Fig. 9); IX with many microtrichia on posterior half (Fig. 10). Sternites transversely reticulate and without microtrichia; posteromarginal setae on sternite VII arise in front of margin.
Male similar to female in structure and color, but smaller and abdomen paler; abdomen without drepanae on tergite IX, and without glandular areas.
Second instar larva: Surface of abdomen and thorax, but including only median area of pronotum, finely granulate, remainder of pronotum smooth; on tergite IX the granulation grades into sharply pointed microtrichia at posterior; major setae capitate; head unusually broad.

The genus Kenyattathrips Mound, 2009
There is only 1 species known in this genus, Kenyattathrips katarinae, from East Africa. It is a member of the Scirtothrips genus-group with most of character states of this genus, but the pronotum bears 2 pairs of long posteromarginal setae, 1 pair laterally, and 1 pair of long anteromarginal setae, and the fore wing second vein has an almost continuous row of setae. Furthermore, Kenyattathrips has 7-segmented antennae with forked sense cone on segments III & IV, exceptionally long seta at the inner apex of the antennal segment II, long ocellar setae pair I placed far forward on the inter-antennal projection and a complete posteromarginal comb on tergites VII and VIII (Mound 2009).

Kenyattathrips katarinae is related to species of the genus Scirtothrips. All of them having regular, closely spaced rows of fine microtrichia on the lateral sides of the tergites and a complete comb on tergite VIII, antennal segments III & IV with forked sense cones, and the pronotum on these thrips is closely and transversely striate. Compared to Kenyattathrips katarinae, all species of Scirtothrips have 8-segmented antennae, antennal segment II without an exeptionally long seta at the inner apex, ocellar setal pair I short and behind base of scape and in front of anterior ocellus, only 1-2 pairs of elongate pronotal setae and no long anteromarginal setae on the pronotum, metanotum reticulated medially, fore wing second vein with a few apical setae, and tergite VII with a posteromarginal comb of microtrichia only laterally. Whereas Kenyattathrips katarinae has 7-segmented antennae, antennal segment II with an exceptionally long seta at the inner apex, a long ocellar setal pair I placed far forward on the inter-antennal projection, 3-4 pairs of elongate pronotal setae (1 pair anteromarginally, 1 pair moderately elongate laterally, 2 pairs posteromarginally), a metanotum without or with weakly sculpture medially, an almost complete row of setae on fore wing second vein, and a complete posteromarginal comb of microtrichia on tergite VII.
Furthermore Kenyattathrips katarinae is similar to Neohydatothrips samayunkur and Hydatothrips adolfifriderici in having the surface of lateral thirds of tergites with many regular rows of fine microtrichia. But Neohydatothrips samayunkur and Hydatothrips adolfifriderici have fore wings with a complete row of setae on the first vein and without or with 2 setae on the second vein, and a distinctive colored and/or sculptured area on the pronotum, the pronotal blotch.

Life history
As with other thrips species the life cycle from egg to adult is dependent on temperature. The full cycle can take about 15 days (Lewis 1973) to over a month and adults may live for more than one month producing several generations in one year depending on seasonal weather.

Host plants
Khat (Catha edulis).

Vector capacity
None identified, but possible mechanical distribution of phytopathogenic fungi and bacteria.

Damage and symptoms
-

Detection and control strategies
-

Biogeography

East Africa. Kenya.

Lewis T (1973). Thrips: their biology, ecology and economic importance. Academic Press Inc., London Ltd., 349 pp

Mound LA (2009). A new genus and species of Scirtothrips genus-group (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) from Kenya, intercepted by Australian quarantine. Zootaxa. 2210: 65-68