Body brown; including legs and antennal segments; head somewhat darker; fore wing strongly shaded. Head with one pair of long ocellar setae, but with postocular setae relatively short. Antennae 8-segmented, III & IV each with transverse sensorium at apex. Pronotum smooth, widest at posterior, with one pair of long posteroangular setae. Meso & metathoracic spinula present.Mesonotal lateral setae unusually short; metanotum with weak sculpture medially; paired campaniform sensilla present. Fore wing with both rows of setae complete. Tarsi 2-segmented. Abdominal tergites without microtrichia and X with a pair of stout trichobothria. Sternites III–VII with short discal setae; ovipositor weakly developed. Female macroptera or aptera.
Male smaller, with a dorsal glandular area on head; fore tibia with a small tooth.
Intraspecific variation
Aptera forms have smaller sensorium on antennal segments III & IV.
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. A key to Merothrips species is given by Mound & O’Neill (1974). According to these authors, this species may be merely a local variety of the widespread M. floridensis. Merothrips brevisetis is only distinguishable from the latter by the short major body setae.
Lives 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
