Colour largely yellow but abdominal tergites III–VIII each with a transverse brown area medially; antennal segment I yellow, II–VIII brown; fore wings uniformly brown. Head with three pairs of ocellar setae, pair III small and arising close together within ocellar triangle. Antennae 8-segmented, III & IV with forked sense cones. Pronotum rectangular, transversely striate and with one pair of long posteroangular setae. Meso & metathoracic spinula well developed. Metanotum with irregular reticulation posteromedially; paired campaniform sensilla absent; two pairs of setae, median pair long and arising slightly behind anterior margin. Tarsi 2-segmented. Fore wing with first and second row of setae widely interrupted. Abdominal tergites II–VIII with lateral thirds covered in closely spaced rows of fine microtrichia; posterior margin with fine comb; tergite VIII with comb complete; III–VI median setae small and close together. Sternites with no discal setae but covered with rows of microtrichia, except anteromedially; sternites IV–VII with antecostal ridge dark. Both sexes fully winged.
Male without sternal pore plates.
Intraspecific variation
Not recorded.
Genus and similar species information
This genus comprises more than 100 species, almost all of them from tropics or subtropics. Most of the members have pale body colour, pronotum transversely striate and lateral thirds of abdominal tergites covered with regular rows of minute microtrichia. Some species within this group show a wide range of variation, resulting sometimes in mistaken taxonomic decisions (Mound & Zur Strassen 2001). Scirtothrips panamensis resembles Scirtothrips manihoti in colour and position of the ocellar setae pair III on head, but is usually distinguished by the dark antecostal ridge on sternites IV–VII.
World distribution
Described from Panama, it is also recorded from Brazil, Costa Rica and Galapagos.
Breeding on leaves, possible associated with Fabaceae. Adults were studied from Gliricidia (Fabaceae) leaves in Costa Rica.
Economic importance
Not recorded.
References suggested
Mound LA & Marullo R (1996) The Thrips of Central and South America: An Introduction. Memoirs on Entomology, International 6: 1–488.
Mound LA & zur Strassen R (2001). The genus Scirtothrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in Mexico: a critique of the review by Johansen & Mojica-Guzmán (1998). Folia Entomologica Mexicana 40(1): 133–142.
Published in: 15/01/2017 Posted by: Mariana Lindner
