Original reference: Pereyra V & Cavalleri A (2012) The genus Heterothrips (Thysanoptera) in Brazil, with an identification key and seven new species. Zootaxa 3237: 1–23.
Body brown; femora brown; tibiae brown with pale apex; tarsi pale; antennal segments I– II & IV–IX brown, III pale; fore wing brown with a pale band near the base. Head wider than long, with no long setae; ocellar region with three pairs of setae; interantennal projection with widely separated arms. Antennae 9-segmented, segment III with pedicel elongate, about 2.5 times as long as wide; segments III & IV each with two rows of sensorial pores. Pronotum weakly reticulate; with no long setae; mesonotum striate; metanotum with sculpture forming concentric lines medially, covered with microtrichia. Fore wing with two rows of conspicuous brown setae. Abdominal tergites I–VII with sparse microtrichia on lateral thirds and posterior margin with craspedal lobes laterally, each rectangular lobe bearing a fringe of fine, irregular microtrichia. Tergites II–V posterior margin with few microtrichia medially, VI–VIII with a complete fringe of microtrichia. Sternites II–VI posterior margins with well-developed craspedal lobes bearing microtrichia, III–VII with 2 or 3 pairs of discal setae.
Male similar in colour but smaller; intermediate abdominal sternites without discal setae, sternites III–VIII each with a large transverse pore plate.
Intraspecific variation
Not recorded.
Genus and similar species information
Heterothrips Hood is the largest genus in the family Heterothripidae, currently comprising more than 70 species. It is restricted to the Americas and two informal groups were proposed by Moulton (1932). Species placed in “group I” bear a posteromarginal fringe of independent microtrichia on the abdominal tergites, whereas species in “group II” have microtrichia that arise on the posterior margin of the tergites from a well-developed craspedum. Antennal segments III & IV each bears apically a circumpolar sensorium with one or more rows of pores. H.pedicellatus is similar to H. obscurus in the unusual shape of the interantennal projection and the medially interrupted craspedum on the abdominal tergites. However, H. pedicellatus has a remarkably long pedicel on antennal segment III and bears discal setae on the abdominal sternites. A key to Heterothrips species recorded from Brazil is given by Pereyra & Cavalleri (2012).
Flower-feeding species living in Malpighiaceae flowers. Adults have been studied from Diplopterys pubipetala and Niedenzuella glabra (Malpighiaceae) in the Brazilian Savannah. Co-existing with H. paulistarum.
Economic importance
Not recorded.
References suggested
Moulton D (1932) The Thysanoptera of South America I. Revista de Entomologia 2: 451–484.
Pereyra V & Cavalleri A (2012) The genus Heterothrips (Thysanoptera) in Brazil, with an identification key and seven new species. Zootaxa 3237: 1–23.
Published in: 21/12/2016 Posted by: Mariana Lindner
