Diceratothrips nigricauda (Hood, 1925: 67).

Original reference: Hood JD (1925) New neotropical Thysanoptera collected by C.B. Williams. Psyche 32: 48–69.

Family

Phlaeothripidae, Idolothripinae

Nomenclatural information 

https://thrips.info/wiki/Diceratothrips_nigricauda 

Diagnosis

Female macropterous; body bicolored, with head, pro- and mesothorax brown, metathorax and abdominal segments I–IV yellow, remaining abdominal segments brown, gradually darkening to the almost black tube; legs yellowish brown with apex of femora, base of tibiae and all tarsi paler; antennomeres I–III yellow, IV–VIII brown; wings hyaline, base light brown, veins shaded with brown. Antennae 8-segmented, antennomere III with 2 and IV with 4 sense cones. Head longer than wide, slightly constricted basally; postocular setae very long, median dorsal setae reduced or absent; lateral margins straight, continuous with eyes and without stout setae; maxillary stylets parallel to each other, about 1/3 of head width apart, extending almost to base of postocular setae. Pronotum with 5 pairs of well-developed setae, with the anteromarginal pair very short, remaining pairs elongate. Metathoracic sternopleural sutures present. Pelta hat-shaped, anterior margin rounded and base with lateral wings, sculptured; abdominal tergites II–VII with 1 pair of wing-retaining setae. Tube cone-shaped, wide base strongly tapering to apex, about 1.4x as long as basal width, with a few minute setae laterally. Fore legs enlarged, fore tarsi with a large tooth. Fore wings with about 6 duplicated cilia.

Male micropterous. Similar to female except for fore femora bearing a posterior projection that seems to interact with a series of ridges in the fore coxae. Pore plates absent.

Intraspecific variation

Unknown.

Genus and similar species information

Diceratothrips is a genus with almost 20 species, occurring in the Neotropical region and south of the United States. It has similarities with species of Diplacothrips, but can be distinguished from them by the presence of metathoracic sternopleural sutures. Males of Anactinothrips and Diceratothrips have a unique adaptation to their fore legs, with a series of ridges on the coxae and a posterior projection on the femora, which seem to work as a stridulatory structure or as a locking mechanism for the fore legs. Despite this unique structure, these genera probably belong to different evolutionary lineages, and Diceratothrips can be distinguished from Anactinothrips for having metathoracic sternopleural sutures, a triangular pelta, and short setae on metanotum and laterals of abdominal segments. Diceratothrips nigricauda is easily distinguished from the other species in the genus by the absence of stout setae on the lateral margins of head, thickened tube similar to Acallurothrips species and for having only a few duplicated cilia on forewings. 

Distribution around the world
Described from Trinidad and Tobago, recorded from Brazil and Panama.

Distribution in Brazil

http://fauna.jbrj.gov.br/fauna/faunadobrasil/80283 

Life history

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

Economic importance

Not recorded.

References suggested
Hood JD (1925) New neotropical Thysanoptera collected by C.B. Williams. Psyche 32: 48–69.

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.