Original reference: Marullo R & Mound LA (2000) Nexothrips; a new genus of thripine Thysanoptera (Insecta) from the neotropics, and its palaeotropical faunal affinities. Journal of the New York Entomological Society 108: 231–236.
Body colour yellow; antennal segments shaded grey; fore wing and scale shaded grey with dark setae on veins. Head with three pairs of ocellar setae present, setae I and II in a transverse row in front of fore ocellus, setae III between posterior margins of hind ocelli. Antennae 8-segmented, III & IV with forked sense cones; segment VIII almost twice as long as VII. Pronotum without distinctive sculpture, without long setae; posterior margin with six pairs of small setae. Mesosternal furca spinula present but weak, not reaching middle of segment; metathoracic endofurca lacking spinula. Metanotum reticulate medially with longitudinal lines of sculpture; campaniform sensilla present; two pairs of setae present, median pair stouter and distinctly shorter than slender lateral pair. Tarsi 2-segmented. Fore wings with both rows of setae interrupted. Abdominal tergites with six or more lines of sculpture, some lines bearing minute faint microtrichia; tergites II–VIII each with a broad craspedum, median setae very small and widely separated; tergite X with long but incomplete median dorsal division. Sternite II with a small pore plate and two pairs of posteromarginal setae, III–VII each with three pairs, VII with S1 setae arising close to and anterior to S2 setae; sternal margins with lobed craspeda between the marginal setae. Both sexes fully winged.
Male with abdominal segment IX enlarged and extending into segment VIII, tergite IX with a pair of small but stout thorn-like setae medio-dorsally; abdominal sternites II–VII with slender transverse pore plates, the one on II about one third as wide as that on III.
Intraspecific variation
Not recorded.
Genus and similar species information
Nexothrips is a Neotropical genus that includes two yellow and very small species. It is closely related to members of the Old World Rhamphothrips genus-group by the proximity of the two pairs of median posteromarginal setae on sternite VII. However, Nexothrips species differ for the presence of a mesosternal spinula, and a transverse pronotum that lacks sculpture. Nexothrips delclaroi is characteristic in having pronotum without elongate posteroangular setae and lateral thirds of abdominal tergites bearing minute microtrichia arising from distinct lines of sculpture.
Possibly breeding on flowers; it was described from flowers of Hortia brasiliana (Rutaceae).
Economic importance
Not recorded.
References suggested
Marullo R & Mound LA (2000) Nexothrips; a new genus of thripine Thysanoptera (Insecta) from the neotropics, and its palaeotropical faunal affinities. Journal of the New York Entomological Society 108: 231–236.
Published in: 29/12/2016 Posted by: Mariana Lindner
