Body colour yellow; antennal segment VI brown in apical two-thirds; fore wing pale with brown area at base and medially and weakly shaded area sub-apically. Antennae 8-segmented, III & IV with unusually long forked sense cones. Head as wide as long, with only two pairs of ocellar setae. Pronotum without sculpture, two pairs of short posteroangular setae, four pairs of posteromarginal setae. Metanotum with transverse lines of sculpture, median pair of setae near centre of sclerite. Meso and metafurca without or with very weak spinula. Fore wing slender, first and second vein with few sparse setae. Tergites with sculpture lines medially; craspeda absent; spiracles on tergite VIII with very small area of granulate sculpture around them. Sternites with three pairs of marginal setae, median pair on VII arising at margin. Female and male macropterous.
Male smaller, tergite IX with two pairs of stout thorn-like setae between which is a double row of small tubercles; sternites without pore plates.
Intraspecific variation
Not recorded.
Genus and similar species information
This Oriental genus comprises ten species. These are similar in appearance to species of Chaetanaphothrips, but do not have an area of specialised sculpture extending anteromedially from the spiracles on tergite VIII. D. trifasciatus is the only species of this genus recorded from the Americas.
World distribution
Described from Hawaii, it has been recorded from Australia, Brazil, Caribbean, Sumatra and USA.
Reported feeding on leaves and young fruits of many plants, including Anthurium sp. (Araceae), Citrus paradisi (Rutaceae), Musa sp. (Musaceae).
Economic importance
This species was taken in association with damage to bananas in the Caribbean, and to Calophyllum brasiliense (Clusiaceae) in Brazil.
References suggested
Bhatti JS (1980) Revision of Danothrips, with descriptions of two new species (Thysanoptera: Thripidae). Journal of Natural History 14: 547–558.
Mound LA & Marullo R (1996) The Thrips of Central and South America: An Introduction. Memoirs on Entomology, International 6: 1–488.
Sakimura K (1975) Danothrips trifasciatus new species, and collection notes on the Hawaiian species of Danothrips and Chaetanaphothrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae). Proceedings of the Hawaiian Entomological Society 22: 125–132.
Thomazini M & Lima EFB (2014) Occurrence and damages of Danothrips trifasciatus (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) on Calophyllum brasiliense (Clusiaceae) in Brazil. Revista Brasileira de Entomologia 58: 302–304.
Published in: 27/12/2016 Posted by: Mariana Lindner
