Elaphrothrips nitidus (Bagnall, 1910: 372).

Original reference: Bagnall RS (1910) A contribution towards a knowledge of the neotropical Thysanoptera. Journal of the Linnean Society Zoology 30: 369–387.

Family

Phlaeothripidae, Idolothripinae

Nomenclatural information 

https://thrips.info/wiki/Elaphrothrips_nitidus 

Diagnosis

Male macropterous; body color mainly dark brown, almost black, with tarsi slightly paler. Head longer than wide, with long projection ahead of eyes;cheeks with stout and short setae; eyes large, not projected ventrally. Pronotum strongly reticulated, with the epimeral pair of setae probably elongate and posteromarginal pair medium-sized, remaining setae short; prosternal basantra present. Metathoracic sternopleural sutures absent. Pelta triangular and broad, reticulated, with lateral projections pointing anteriorly; tergites II–VII with 2 pairs of wing-retaining setae and several smaller accessory setae; posterior setae on tergite IX longer than the tube. Abdominal sternites without pore plates. Tube almost cylinder-shaped, about 4x as long as basal width, without lateral setae. Fore legs swollen, fore femora with many setae and a tubercle on the outer margin, fore tarsi with a large tooth. Fore wings with 48 duplicated cilia.

This species is known from only one male specimen, whose antennae and several body setae were lost.

Intraspecific variation

Unknown.

Genus and similar species information

Elaphrothrips is the Idolothripinae genus with the most described species, with almost 150 species widely distributed across tropical and subtropical regions. These thrips are usually large and dark-colored, distinguished from other Brazilian Idolothripinae (except Saurothrips) for having two pairs of wing-retaining setae on the abdominal tergites; in larger specimens, many accessory setae may be present in addition to the main wing-retaining pairs. Besides that, they have elongated head, major ocellar setae posterior to the anterior ocellus, basantra present, and tube shorter than the head, without lateral setae. Many species have high morphological diversity associated to size, wing-development and sex, which makes the distinction between species harder; and it is possible that many species in the genus will be identified as synonyms in the future.

Elaphrothrips nitidus is one of the few brazilian species in this genus with the head projection anterior to eyes longer than wide, together with E. amazonicus, E. gracilis and E. schotti. It is distinguished from E. amazonicus for its smaller size, reticulated pronotum, and a smaller amount of duplicated cilia on fore wings. However, E. gracilis and E. nitidus cannot be distinguished easily, and it is possible that E. gracilis represents the female and E. nitidus represents the male of the same species.

Distribution around the world

Described from Brazil.

Distribution in Brazil

http://fauna.jbrj.gov.br/fauna/faunadobrasil/69777 

Life history

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

Economic importance

Not recorded.

Suggested references

Bagnall RS (1910) A contribution towards a knowledge of the neotropical Thysanoptera. Journal of the Linnean Society Zoology 30: 369–387.

Palmer JM & Mound LA (1978) Nine genera of fungus-feeding Phlaeothripidae (Thysanoptera) from the Oriental Region. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology 37: 153-215.

Johansen RM (1983) El genero Elaphrothrips Buffa, 1909 (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae) en el continente Americano; su sistematica, evolucion, biogeografia y biologia. Monogr. Instituto de Biologia de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico 1: 1-267.

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.