Figures
Fig. 1: Antenna (inset: II. and III. antennal segment)
Fig. 2: Head dorsal with ocellar triangle
Fig. 3: Pronotum
Fig. 4: Meso- and metanotum
Fig. 5: Forewing
Fig. 6: Sternites V and VI
Fig. 7: Tergites V and VI
Fig. 8: Tergites VIII-X
ITS-RFLP gel patterns (1&8 ladder, 2 PCR-product, 3 RSAI, 4 HaeIII, 5 MspI, 6 HinfI, 7 AluI)
Fig. 9: Primer pair CS249/CS250
Fig. 10: Primer pair 18SMP/28SMP
Fig. 11: Primer pair TODA1/TODA2
Taxonomic Information
Species:
Anascirtothrips arorai Bhatti, 1961
Synonyms:
Anascirtothrips ficus Bhatti, 1967
Common name:
None established
Present taxonomic position:
Family: Thripidae Stephens, 1829
Subfamily: Thripinae (Stephens) Karny, 1921
Genus: Anascirtothrips Bhatti, 1961
Species Recognition
General information about the genus Anascirtothrips:Members in this genus resemble species in the genus Scirtothrips by containing microtrichia on the abdominal tergites and with the median pair of abdominal setae long and closely spaced. In addition, the tergites on Anascirtothrips have a comb of microtrichia on the lateral sides, sometimes complete on tergite VII and complete on tergite VIII. The thrips in this genus are small and pale yellow with weak brown markings on the body segments. The head has three pairs of ocellar setae, red ocelli and seven antennal segments. The antennae have numerous setae on each segment and segments III and IV have forked sense cones. The forewing first vein has two gaps between the row of setae followed by three broadly spaced setae placed at the distal end of the wing. The grouping of setae in the row on the first vein, starting at the base of the wing, can have the following combinations [2; 3-6 (variable); and 3] and there are 3-4 setae on the second vein.
Typical character states of Anascirtothrips arorai:
Body color
Mainly pale or yellow, with some darker markings.
Antennae
Number of antennal segments: 7
Segment IV - forked sensorium: scarcely extending beyond base of segment V
Segments II and III shape: more or less symmetric
Segments III & IV sensoria: emergent and forked
Base of sensorium on antennal segment VI: no more than 2 times as wide as base of nearest seta
Terminal antennal segments: rarely elongate
Head:
Distance between bases of ocellar setae III: greater than width of first ocellus
Head shape between compound eyes: not prolonged
Ocellar setae III on head: arising on anterior margin of, or in front of, ocellar triangle
Postocular setae I: present
Surface of head, pronotum and fore legs: without strong reticulate sculpture
Ocellar setae I in front of anterior ocellus: present
Prothorax
Number of pairs of elongate pronotal setae: 0-3
Number of pairs of elongate posteroangular pronotal setae: 0
Pronotum shape: rectangular
Mesothorax
Mesothoracic endofurca: without median spinula
Metathorax
Metanotal median area sculptured lines: transverse at anterior, but with irregular equiangular reticulation near posterior
Metanotal median setae position: arising behind anterior margin
Metanotum: with campaniform sensilla
Metanotum major sclerite: with two major sclerites, metascutum and metascutellum
Metanotum sculpture: without dominant sculptured triangle medially
Metathoracic endofurca: transverse, sometimes with simple median spinula
Wings
Wings: present and more than half as long as abdomen
First vein of forewing: distinct from costal vein
Forewing anterior margin: with setae and cilia but cilia longer than setae
Forewing color: uniformly pale or weakly shaded
Forewing costal fringe of cilia: arising at anterior margin of wing
Forewing costal setae at middle of wing: shorter than median width of wing
Forewing first vein setal row: incomplete, with setae not closely and uniformly spaced
Forewing posterior margin cilia: undulated near apex
Forewing second vein setal row: incomplete, with setae not closely and uniformly spaced
Forewing surface: not reticulate
Forewings: surface with veins, setae and microtrichia
Legs
Fore tibial apex: not extending around fore tarsus
Mid and hind tarsi: with two segments
Abdomen:
Abdominal pleurotergites: not covered in microtrichia
Abdominal segment X: never tubular, longitudinally incomplete ventrally in both sexes
Abdominal sternite II: with marginal setae but no discal setae
Abdominal sternite III of female: without glandular areas
Abdominal sternite VII: with marginal setae but no discal setae
Abdominal sternite VII median marginal setae: arising at margin
Abdominal sternites IV , V and VI: with marginal setae but no discal setae
Abdominal sternites V & VI microtrichia: extending fully across discal area
Abdominal tergites: without curved wing-retaining setae
Abdominal tergites IV & V median setal pair: longer than distance between their bases
Abdominal tergites V-VII: without paired ctenidia, sometimes with irregular microtrichia
Markings on tergites IV to VI: with shaded areas laterally but antecostal ridges pale
Setae on abdominal tergite X: slender
Surface of lateral thirds of abdominal tergites: with many regular rows of fine microtrichia
Ctenidia on tergite VIII: not present, but groups of microtrichia
Tergite VIII posteromarginal comb of microtrichia: present, complete medially
Tergite VIII posteromarginal microtrichia: long, slender and irregular (or -irregular)
Biology
Life history:
As with other thrips species the life cycle from egg to adult is dependent on temperature. The full cycle can take a couple of weeks to over a month and adults may live for more than one month producing several generations in one year depending on seasonal weather. In greenhouses where the temperatures are warmer the life cycle for egg to adult is reduced to nearly a week. The authors have observed this species on Ficus plants in South Florida where the species breeds and feeds abundantly. All life forms can be found throughout the year on Ficus in Southern Florida thus this species appears to have no dormancy period there.
Host plants:
Ficus benjamina (Moraceae) cultivars
Vector capacity:
None identified
Current known distribution:
India, Southern Florida, Northern Australia
Additional notes:
Secondary fungal pathogens were found on Ficus benjamina cultivars which were linked to Anascirtothrips arorai feeding in a Ficus nursery in South Florida (O’Donnell, unpublished).
Bibliography
Moritz G, Morris DC, Mound LA (2001): ThripsID - Pest thrips of the world. ACIAR and CSIRO Publishing Collingwood, Victoria, Australia, CDROM ISBN 1 86320 296 X.
Moritz G, Mound LA, Morris DC, Goldarazena A (2004): Pest thrips of the world - an identification and information system using molecular and microscopial methods. CBIT, University of Queensland,CDROM ISBN 1-86499-781-8.
Mound, LA & Wang, CL (2000): The Genus Anascirtothrips (Thysanoptera:
Thripidae), from leaves of Ficus trees
in Taiwan, India and Australia. Chinese Journal of Entomology, Vol. 20:
327-333pp.
Strassen, R zur & Kuslitzky, W (2007): Anascirtothrips
arorai Bhatti (Thysanoptera : Thripidae): A new thrips for Israel.
- Phytoparasitica 35 (3): 253-254.
Links:
Mound, LA (2005): Thysanoptera (Thrips) of the World
- A Checklist. http://www.ento.csiro.au/thysanoptera/worldthrips.html