First description of males of Ensiferothrips wallacei Mound & Tree (Thripidae: Dendrothripinae) with variation in fore wing setae

Abstract

The genus Ensiferothrips now includes four described species, it is similar to Dendrothrips in the structure of the abdominal tergites and hind coxae, also the position of the fore wing cilia, but the wing apex bears a stout seta, and the costal setae are very stout. It was originally known from New Caledonia based on a single species, E. primus Bianchi, but subsequently E. secundus Mound was described from Lord Howe Island on Smilax australis [Smilacaceae](Mound 1999). More recently, Mound and Tree (2016) described two further species, E. lamingtoni from Queensland, Australia on Quintinia sieberi [Grossulariaceae] and E. wallacei from Indonesia without host plant information. A single specimen of the later species has also been recorded from Hainan, China (Zhang et al. 2018). The genus is clearly tropical in distribution, from south China to northern Australia, revealing the strong connection between south China, southeast Asia and northern Australia. Little biological information is known of these species, though they seem to live on hard mature leaves (Mound & Tree 2020). In this study, a series of specimens of E. wallacei was found from Hainan on Smilax sp. The first description of the male of this species is presented here, together with interesting variation in the chaetotaxy of the fore wings.