Body brown to dark brown; including legs and antennal segments, except for segment II which is distinctively paler. Head with one pair of long ocellar setae, also one pair of postocular setae well developed. Antennae 8-segmented, III & IV each with transverse sensorium at apex. Pronotum widest at posterior, with only one pair of long posteroangular setae. Meso & metathoracic spinula present.Mesonotum with a long setae arising laterally; metanotum with weak sculpture medially; paired campaniform sensilla present; median pair of setae arising close to posterior margin. Tarsi 2-segmented. Abdominal tergites without microtrichia and X with a pair of very small trichobothria. Sternites III–VII with 2 to 4 pairs of discal setae; ovipositor weakly developed. Both sexes apterae.
Male with a large dorsal pore plate on head.
Intraspecific variation
Not recorded.
Genus and similar species information
Merothrips includes 13 extant species, many of them described from the Neotropics. They all have antennae 8-segmented and the transverse sensoria on segments III & IV are and sometimes slightly inflated. Many species are known only from apterous forms. M. brunneus is very similar to the widespread floridensis, but differs in the body colour and in the absence of well developed trichobothria on abdominal tergite X. A key to Merothrips species is given by Mound & O’Neill (1974).
World distribution
Recorded from Australia, Brazil, Costa Rica and New Zealand.
Lives on leaf litter and on dead branches, and possibly feeds on fungal hyphae.
Economic importance
Not recorded.
References suggested
Mound LA & O'Neill K (1974) Taxonomy of the Merothripidae, with ecological and phylogenetic considerations (Thysanoptera). Journal of Natural History 8: 481–509.
Mound LA & Marullo R (1996) The Thrips of Central and South America: An Introduction. Memoirs on Entomology, International 6: 1–488.
Published in: 23/12/2016 Posted by: Mariana Lindner
