Diagnosis Female macropterous; body color mainly dark brown. Antennae 8-segmented, antennomere III with 2 and IV with 4 main sense cones, besides multiple minute sense cones on antennomeres III to V. Head longer than wide, projected in front of eyes, lateral margins slightly sinuous; postocular setae long, ocellar setae short; lateral margins with two pairs of long stout setae and many smaller and fine setae, a pair of tubercles present lateroventrally. Prosternal basantra absent. Metathoracic sternopleural sutures absent. Abdominal segment I with one pair of setae arising from lateral sclerites, isolated from pelta. Tube long and cylinder-shaped, with several lateral setae. Fore wings with duplicated cilia. Male macropterous. Similar to female, fore legs with tarsal tooth. Pore plates absent.
Intraspecific variation
Many characters seem to be influenced by the size or sex of the specimen, like antennae coloration (paler in smaller specimens); number of minute sense cones in the antennae (less cones in smaller specimens and/or females); metanotal sculpture (weaker or partially absent in smaller specimens). The development of pronotal midlateral setae and the size of male fore tarsal tooth is also different among individuals.
Genus and similar species information
Zactinothrips is a genus with only two species, recorded in some countries in Central and South Americas. Both species have a lot of morphological variation associated with size, and it is possible that they represent a single highly variable taxon. Zactinothrips is closely related to Actinothrips, and both genera share some characteristics like the elongated head with two pairs of stout setae laterally, absence of basantra and metathoracic sternopleural sutures, tube long with multiple lateral setae. Zactinothrips is unique among the Idolothripinae genera in Brazil, for bearing many minute sense cones dorsally and ventrally on antennomeres III and IV, especially in males. Both Zactinothrips species are distinguished mainly by the coloration of antennomere III: yellowish with dark brown apical third in Z. elegans, yellowish with apical third not darkened in Z. modestus.
Distribution around the world
Described from Peru and recorded from Brazil and Costa Rica.
