Original reference: Cavalleri A & Mound LA (2014) The neotropical flower-living genus Lenkothrips (Thysanoptera, Heterothripidae): three new species and an identification key. Zootaxa 3814: 581–590.
Family
Heterothripidae
Nomenclatural information
http://thrips.info/wiki/Lenkothrips_mollinediae
Diagnosis
Body dark brown; femora largely brown, fore tibiae shaded brown with pale apex; mid & hind tibiae and tarsi yellow; antennal segments brown, I & II darker; IV yellow at basal 2/3; fore wing brown, distinctly paler sub-basally. Head with no long setae and three pairs of ocellar setae present. Antenna 9-segmented, segments III & IV each with a long and continuous sensorial area extending laterally to about 2/3 of the segment. Pronotum with weak lines of sculpture; with no long setae. Mesonotum with transverse elongate reticles, metanotum with concentric lines of sculpture bearing many microtrichia. Fore wing with two complete rows of strong, brown setae. Abdominal tergites I–VIII with independent fringe of microtrichia posteriorly, well developed laterally on I–V but with few teeth medially; lateral thirds covered with irregular lines of sculpture bearing sparse and fine microtrichia. Sternites with 5 pairs of posteromarginal setae arising well in front of posterior margin; sternal discal setae absent.
Male smaller than female and lighter in colour, especially lateral thirds of abdominal segments IV–VIII; fore legs and pronotum slightly enlarged; sternites IV (rarely III)–VIII each with one large oval pore plate which is usually not constricted medially and occupies about 0.4 of sternite width.
Intraspecific variation
Not recorded.
Genus and similar species information
The Lenkothrips genus comprises eight species of flower feeding thrips, all described from South America. These species resemble Heterothrips species in external morphology, but they differ in having the circumpolar sensorial areas on antennal segments III–IV extending into a continuous lateral loop to the base of their segments. L. mollinediae contrasts with the other Lenkothrips in having mid and hind tibiae yellow, and abdominal tergites with only sparse microtrichia on lateral thirds. An updated key to species is provided by Lima et al. (2024).
Flower-feeding species associated with Mollinedia spp. (Monimiaceae). Breeds in pistillate flowers and possibly plays an important role in the pollination of these plants.
Economic importance
Not recorded.
References suggested
Cavalleri A & Mound LA (2014) The neotropical flower-living genus Lenkothrips (Thysanoptera, Heterothripidae): three new species and an identification key. Zootaxa 3814: 581–590.
