Gastrothrips abditus Hood, 1935: 177. 

Original reference: Hood JD (1935) Some new or little known Thysanoptera of the family Phlaeothripidae. Revista de Entomologia 5: 159–199.

Family

Phlaeothripidae, Idolothripinae

Nomenclatural information 

https://thrips.info/wiki/Gastrothrips_abditus 

Diagnosis

Female macropterous; body color mainly dark brown, almost black on anterior region of head, abdominal segments VII and VIII, and medially on tube; fore tibiae and tarsi brownish yellow, fore tibiae shaded medially; antennomere II brown with paler apex, III brown with yellow base, remaining antennal segments dark brown; wings weakly shaded with yellow or light brown, darker basally and marginally. Antennae 8-segmented, antennomere III with 2 and IV with 3 sense cones. Head about as wide as long or slightly longer, constrict basally; dorsal surface smooth, with few weak sculpture lines laterally; only the postocular setae are elongate, remaining dorsal and lateral setae are short; maxillary stylets V-shaped, over half of head width apart, extending to about half of head length. Pronotum with 5 pairs of well-developed setae, anteromarginal pair very short, anteroangular and midlateral pairs somewhat elongate, epimeral and posteroangular pairs are the longest. Metanotum with one median pair of stout setae. Metathoracic sternopleural sutures present. Pelta almost triangular, with basal wings, weakly sculptured medially; abdomimal tergites II–VII with 1 pair of wing-retaining setae. Tube cylinder-shaped, constrict apically, about 2.4x as long as basal width, without lateral setae. All legs similar in appearance, fore tarsi without a tooth. Fore wings with 5–6 duplicated cilia.

Male macropterous. Similar to female but paler, with enlarged fore legs, fore femora with a row of about six curved setae basally and externally, fore tarsi with a large tooth. Mesothorax with projections anterolaterally. Pore plates absent.

Intraspecific variation

Unknown.

Genus and similar species information

Gastrothrips is a genus with almost 40 species and widely distributed in the tropical regions of the world, but especially in the Neotropics. There is a lot of morphological diversity within this group, and it is possible that some forms represent distinct evolutive lines. Gastrothrips species are distinguished from other Brazilian Idolothripinae by having only three short sense cones on antennomere IV, while the rest of the subfamily usually has 4 sense cones in this antennal segment. Moreover, Gastrothrips species have metathoracic sternopleural sutures, pelta usually triangular and with basal wings, and the tube is relatively short, usually constrict apically. Gastrothrips abditus and G. fumipennis are considered to be closely related, sharing character states such as females without a tarsal tooth and males with projections on the anterior angles of mesothorax; G. abditus is distinguished by the slightly paler coloration (especially in the wings) and by the presence of curved setae basally on the fore femora of males.A key to some species of Gastrothrips (including the ones recorded in Brazil) is available in Mound (1974).

Distribution around the world

Described from Panama. Recorded from Brazil, Guadeloupe, Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago.

Distribution in Brazil

http://fauna.jbrj.gov.br/fauna/faunadobrasil/30531

Life history

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

Economic importance

Not recorded.

References suggested
Hood JD (1935) Some new or little known Thysanoptera of the family Phlaeothripidae. Revista de Entomologia 5: 159–199.
Mound LA (1974) The Nesothrips complex of spore-feeding Thysanoptera (Phlaeothripidae: Idolothripinae). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Entomology 31: 109–188.
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.