Body brown, abdomen darker; head yellow anteriorly as well as abdominal segments IX–X; tarsi and tibiae yellow, except by median tibia, which is distinctly brown medially; antennal segments I & III–VIII largely yellow; II brown; fore wings banded, shaded at base and two narrow dark brown transverse bands, apex pale. Head reticulate and with transverse occipital ridge. Antennae 8-segmented, III & IV with forked and slender sense cones; VIII elongated. Pronotum reticulate and without long setae; reticles with internal markings. Mesothoracic endofurca without spinula and methathoracic endofurca with long curved paired arms extending to mesothorax. Mesonotum not divided longitudinally. Metanotum with weakly defined reticulate area medially, almost forming a triangle; median setae long; paired campaniform sensilla present and placed anteriorly. Tarsi 2-segmented. Fore wing with complete row of setae on first and second veins. Abdominal tergites finely sculptured with elongate reticles, including medially; median setae minute and wide apart; tergite VIII with comb of microtrichia laterally; tergite X partially divided medially. Both sexes fully winged.
Male slightly paler; sternites III–VII with small slender transverse pore plates; sternite IX with three pairs of stout thorn-like setae.
Intraspecific variation
Abdominal segments IX–X sometimes not distinctively paler than the rest of abdomen.
Genus and similar species information
Hercinothrips is an African genus which includes nine species, most of them widespread around the world. The members of this genus are unusual, but not unique among Panchaetothripinae, in having fore wing with two complete rows of setae and tarsi 2-segmented. Hercinothrips bicintus is very similar to the widespread H. femoralis, but it is usually distinguished by the following features: antennal segments VI–VIII uniformly yellow; median tibiae bicoloured and fore wings extensively pale medially.
World distribution
Described originally from Belgium, it is possibly African in origin. It is widespread in Europe and East Africa, and also recorded from Australia and Brazil.
Known as the Banana Silvering Thrips, this species breeds on mature leaves of several plant species. It is found in banana plants in Africa and in European greenhouses. In Brazil, it was collected in Hylocereus undatus (Cactaceae).
Economic importance
It has been reported as a minor pest in glasshouses in Europe and causing leaf damage to banana plants in Africa (Wilson 1975). The damaged areas develop a silvery blemish, spotted with the thrips’ dark faeces.
References suggested
Mound LA (1970) Studies on heliothripine Thysanoptera. Proceedings of the Royal Entomological Society of London 39: 41–56.
Wilson TH (1975) A monograph of the subfamily Panchaetothripinae (Thysanoptera: Thripidae). Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 23: 1–354.
Published in: 28/12/2016 Posted by: Mariana Lindner
