Holopothrips atlanticus Lindner, Ferrari, Mound & Cavalleri, 2018: 20.

Original reference: Lindner MF; Ferrari A; Mound LA & Cavalleri A (2018) Holopothrips diversity—a Neotropical genus of gall-inducing insects (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripidae). Zootaxa 4494(1): 001–099.

Family

Phlaeothripidae, Phlaeothripinae

Nomenclatural information

https://thrips.info/wiki/Holopothrips_atlanticus

Diagnosis

Body dark brown, with tarsi light brown and tube almost black, apex lighter; antennomere I concolourous with head, II dark brown basally and yellow apically, III–IV yellow, V–VII yellow at base and gradually darker at apex, VIII brown; fore wings hyaline but light brown basally; major body setae dark brown. Head about 1.4 times longer than width behind eyes, dorsal surface with transverse lines of sculpture; postocular setae similar or longer than a compound eye’s length, with blunt apexes; maxillary stylets V-shaped and about half of head width apart; mouth cone pointed. Antenna with 8 antennomeres, III–IV each with three elongate sense cones. Pronotum sculpture weak to absent, notopleural sutures usually incomplete, but might be complete in some specimens; 6 pairs of major pronotal setae with blunt to weakly expanded apexes, 2 pairs on epimeral region. Mesonotum sculpture formed by small and irregular reticles medially, which become elongate or form transverse lines marginally; without internal markings. Metanotum with 1 pair of anterior discal setae and one major median pair; longitudinal lines of sculpture forming a striate pattern, with weak internal markings. Fore tarsal hamus small. Fore wings with about 15–22 duplicated cilia. Pelta triangular with anterior margin acute, one pair of campaniform sensilla present; sculpture formed by elongated reticles, thinner and with internal markings medially. Abdominal tergites sculpture with irregular reticles medially, II–VII with three pairs of wing-retaining setae. Both sexes macropterous.

Females have S-shaped spermatheca. Males are slightly smaller, with pore plates on sternite VIII: two bands on anterior angles, and a transverse band posterior to discal setae, with reticulated texture.

Intraspecific variation

Not recorded.

Genus and similar species information

Holopothrips is a genus with about 60 known species, distributed almost exclusively in the Neotropics. Several species in this genus are associated to plant galls, as inducers or invaders, in plants of many families. Most Holopothrips species bear three pairs of wing-retaining setae on tergites II–VII, males have complex pore plates and frequently in other sternites besides VIII, and the female spermatheca is visible. About 40 species in this genus have been described or recorded from Brazil. Holopothrips atlanticus is uncommon within the genus for having the metanotal sculpture formed by thicker and shorter longitudinal lines, in comparison to other species with a striate metanotum. It is possibly related to other species with dark brown body and two pairs of epimeral setae, such as H. nigrum and H. nigrisetis.

World distribution

Brazil.

Distribution in Brazil

http://fauna.jbrj.gov.br/fauna/faunadobrasil/197489 

Life history

Species collected from Myrcia brasiliensis (Myrtaceae) leaf galls, of which is the probable inducer.

Economic importance

Not recorded.

References suggested

Lindner MF; Ferrari A; Mound LA & Cavalleri A (2018) Holopothrips diversity—a Neotropical genus of gall-inducing insects (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripidae). Zootaxa 4494(1): 001–099.