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; fore tibiae largely pale, slightly washed with brown basally; mid and hind tibiae brown but pale apically; tarsi yellow; antennal segments I–II & V–IX brown, III pale, IV brown at apical third; fore wing brown with a large 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, segments III & IV each with one transverse row of sensorial pores at apex. Pronotum with weak and pale lines of sculpture; no long setae; mesonotum striate; metanotum with sculpture forming concentric lines medially, covered with microtrichia and almost forming a triangle. Fore wing with two rows of conspicuous brown setae. Abdominal tergites I–VII with fine and sparse microtrichia laterally, posterolateral margins with irregular craspedal lobes each bearing short and pointed teeth; II–V with few marginal microtrichia medially; VI–VIII with complete posteromarginal comb of microtrichia. Sternites II–VI without discal setae.
Male smaller but similar in colour; 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. obscurus is similar to H.pedicellatus in the unusual shape of the interantennal projection and the medially interrupted craspedum on the abdominal tergites. However, H. obscurus has a short pedicel on antennal segment III and lacks discal setae on the abdominal sternites. A key to Heterothrips species recorded from Brazil is given by Pereyra & Cavalleri (2012).
Flower-feeding species associated with Malpighiaceae. Adults have been studied from Byrsonima intermedia and Heteropterys leona flowers (Malpighiaceae).
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
