Body dark brown, abdomen largely paler; head, antennae, thorax and legs brown; abdominal segments IX–X brown; fore wing uniformly shaded. Head without strong sculpture, slightly prolonged in front of eyes; vertex with 12 to 22 pairs of setae. Antennae 8-segmented, III & IV with simple sense cones; antennal segment I enlarged, II asymmetric with external lateral margin strongly produced. Pronotum trapezoidal, without reticulation; two pairs of short, conspicuous posteroangular setae; setae on anterior margin not distinctly longer than discal setae. Meso & metathoracic endofurca weakly developed, without spinula. Fore coxae enlarged. Metanotum reticulate medially; paired campaniform sensilla present; two pairs of conspicuous setae, median pair arising behind anterior margin. Tarsi 2-segmented. Fore wing first and second veins with few and sparse setae. Abdominal tergites reticulate, anteriorly with many rows of very small tubercles; II–VIII with paired median setae wide apart; VIII with a lobed craspedum. Sternites without discal setae or craspeda; three pairs of long posteromarginal setae; ovipositor unusually small. Female macropterous and male apterous.
Male slightly paler than female, not so bicoloured; ocelli and wings absent; metanotum rectangular; large circular pore plate on abdominal sternites III–VII.
Intraspecific variation
Colour of abdomen varies from yellow to light brown.
Genus and similar species information
The New World genus Arorathrips includes about 15 species, all of them having antennal segment II strongly asymmetric, and segments III & IV each with a simple sense cone. It is closely related to Chirothrips but differs in having the mesothoracic endofurca reduced. Arorathrips fulvuscan be distinguished from the other Arorathrips species reported from Brazil by the 12–22 pairs of short setae on the vertex.
World distribution
Described from Hawaii, it is also recorded from Argentina and Brazil.
Breeding in flowers of several grasses. In Brazil, adults were found on rice and Paspalumurvillae (Poaceae).
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.
Nakahara S & Foottit RG (2012) Review of Chirothrips and related genera (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) of the Americas, with descriptions of one new genus and four new species. Zootaxa 3251: 1–29.
Published in: 14/07/2018 Posted by: Mariana Lindner
