Panchaetothrips noxius Priesner, 1937

Panchaetothripinae, Thripidae, Terebrantia, Thysanoptera

Figures

Fig. 1: 8-segmented antenna, segments III and IV with forked sense cone, terminal segments V-VIII
Fig. 2: Head with 8-segmented antenna
Fig. 3: Head with ocellar triangle
Fig. 4: Pronotum
Fig. 5: Meso- and metanotum
Fig. 6: Fore wing and fore wing basal region
Fig. 7: Tergites IV-VII
Fig. 8: Tergites VI-IX
Fig. 9: Tergites IX-XI
Fig. 10: Tergites X and XI
Fig. 11: Adult female

Panchaetothrips noxius causes damage especially on coffee leaves. Both sexes fully winged. Body brown; tarsi and apices of tibiae yellow; antennal segments III-V yellow in basal half; fore wings light brown with white spot sub-basally; setae on fore wings dark brown, setae at apex of abdomen yellow (Fig. 11). Antennae 8-segmented; segments III & IV slender with sense cone long and forked; VIII more than 3 times as long as VII (Fig. 1 and 2). Head with cheeks S-shaped, but constricted to basal neck posterior to strong occipital ridge (Fig. 3). Pronotum with weak transverse lines of sculpture (Fig. 4). Mesonotum not divided medially. Metanotum with weakly defined reticulate triangular area medially and 2 pairs of setae (Fig. 5); metafurca elongate and Y-shaped. Mid and hind tarsi 2-segmented. Fore wing first vein close or fused to costal vein, fore wing costal setae dark and up to twice as long as wing width; first vein with row of about 7 setae not closely and uniformly spaced; second vein without setae (Fig. 6). Tergite II with group of closely spaced striae anterolaterally; tergites with conspicuously dark, stout and long setae (Fig. 7 and 8), tergite X long and cylindrical with complete longitudinal division dorsally (Fig. 10).
Male similar to female; without thorn-like setae on tergite IX; with slender, transverse, linear glandular area on each of sternites III-VII.

The genus Panchaetothrips Bagnall, 1912
Although 6 species are listed in this genus, they cannot all be distinguished satisfactorily (Mound & Postle 2004). One species is widespread in tropical Africa, the other five have been described from the Oriental region, between India, Japan, Philippines and northern Australia. All of them have the head with a strong transverse occipital ridge, the fore wing costal vein and tergites VIII-X bear unusually long and stout setae, the abdominal segment 10 is elongate and unusual tubular with stout setae (Mound & Kibby 1998), unlike any other member of the Panchaetothripinae.

Compared to other members of Panchaetothripinae, Panchaetothrips noxius has the tergite X long and unusually tubular, the fore wing costal vein and tergites IV-X bear dark, particularly long and stout setae, and the second vein of fore wings bears no setae. It is similar to species of Hercinothrips and Monilothrips kempi in having 2-segmented tarsi. But compared to Panchaetothrips noxius, species of Hercinothrips have a finely reticulated pronotum, usually banded fore wings, complete rows of long setae on both veins of the fore wings, and costal setae of fore wings longer than half of median wing width. Panchaetothrips noxius as well as Monilothrips kempi have a distinct occipital ridge on head, a pronotum without strong sculpture, and no posteromarginal comb of microtrichia on tergite VIII. Unlike Panchaetothrips noxius, in Monilothrips kempi the surface of the head is not strongly reticulated except for the occiptal collar, the head has no constriction posteriorly, the pronotum with 2 pairs of elongated setae, and both veins of fore wings have a complete row of long setae. Compared to other Panchaetothripinae with a distinct occipital ridge, in Panchaetothrips noxius and Helionothrips errans the occipital collar is weakly sculptured in contrast to the rest of the head. In Xestothrips glabratus is no difference between sculpture of occipital collar and rest of head and in Monilothrips kempi the occipital collar is in contrast to the rest of the head with heavy reticulate sculptured. Panchaetothrips noxius, Monilothrips kempi and Selenothrips rubrocinctus have fore wing costal setae up to twice as long as wing width medially. Selenothrips rubrocinctus has uniformly dark brown fore wings, 1-segmented tarsi, a complete posteromarginal comb of microtrichia on tergite VIII, and a pronotum with transverse striate sculpture.

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
Breeding on, and damaging, the leaves of coffee (Coffea arabica, Coffea robusta).

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

Damage and symptoms
-

Detection and control strategies
-

Biogeography

Africa. Congo (Nioka, Kivu, Loashi), Tanzania, Uganda (Kisoro, Butenga).

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