Gastrothrips procerus Hood, 1955: 99.

Original reference: Hood JD (1955) Brasilian Thysanoptera VI. Revista Brasileira de Entomologia 4: 51–160.

Family

Phlaeothripidae, Idolothripinae

Nomenclatural information 

https://thrips.info/wiki/Gastrothrips_procerus 

Diagnosis

Female macropterous; body color mostly dark brown, almost black, with the tube darker medially; the apex of all femora and the mid and hind tarsi are paler, fore tibiae are yellowish but shaded with brown, the fore tarsi are yellow; antennomere I dark brown with paler base, II dark brown with yellowish apex, III brown with yellow pedicel, IV–VIII almost black; wings are weakly shaded with light brown, darker at the base. Antennae 8-segmented, antennomere III with 2 and IV with 3 sense cones; antennomere VIII is slender, constricted basally. Head longer than wide, constricted at base, and slightly projected ahead of eyes; weakly sculptured laterally; only the postocular setae are elongate, all other dorsal (including ocellar) and lateral setae are short. Pronotum almost smooth, with only a few sculpture lines along the posterior margin; with 5 pairs of well-developed setae, anteromarginal pair shorter than the rest, epimeral and posteroangular pairs longest. Metathoracic sternopleural sutures present. Pelta without lateral projections basally. Abdominal tergites II–VII with 1 pair of wing-retaining setae. Tube cylinder-shaped, not constricted apically, about 2x as long as basal width, without lateral setae. All legs similar in appearance, fore tarsi without  a tooth. Fore wings with about 5 to 8 duplicated cilia.

Male not studied.

Intraspecific variation

Unknown.

Genus and similar species information

Gastrothrips is a genus with almost 40 species and widely distributed in the tropical regions of the world, but especially in the Neotropics. There is a lot of morphological diversity within this group, and it is possible that some forms represent distinct evolutive lines. Gastrothrips species are distinguished from other Brazilian Idolothripinae by having only three short sense cones on antennomere IV, while the rest of the subfamily usually has 4 sense cones in this antennal segment. Moreover, Gastrothrips species have metathoracic sternopleural sutures, pelta usually triangular and with basal wings, and the tube is relatively short, usually constrict apically. Gastrothrips procerus is distinguished from the other brazilian species in this genus for having a smooth tube, with straight margins and not constricted apically. A key to some species of Gastrothrips (including the ones recorded in Brazil) is available in Mound (1974).

Distribution around the world

Described from Brazil and recorded from Paraguay.

Distribution in Brazil

http://fauna.jbrj.gov.br/fauna/faunadobrasil/82193

Life history

Lives in dead leaves and twigs, where it feeds on fungal spores.

Economic importance

Not recorded.

Suggested references
Hood JD (1955) Brasilian Thysanoptera VI. Revista Brasileira de Entomologia 4: 51–160.
Mound LA (1974) The Nesothrips complex of spore-feeding Thysanoptera (Phlaeothripidae: Idolothripinae). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Entomology 31: 109–188.
Mound LA & Palmer JM (1983) The generic and tribal classification of spore-feeding Thysanoptera (Phlaeothripidae: Idolothripinae). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology 46: 1–174.
Mound LA & Marullo R (1996) The Thrips of Central and South America: An Introduction. Memoirs on Entomology, International 6: 1–488.