Holopothrips bicolor Lindner, Ferrari, Mound & Cavalleri, 2018: 23.

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_bicolor

Diagnosis

Body mostly yellow, with head and abdominal segments VIII–X fully brown; antennomeres I–II concolourous with head, III yellow with base light brown, IV–VI yellow, VII yellow basally and light brown apically, VIII light brown; fore wings hyaline; major body setae light yellow. Head about 1.25 times longer than the width behind eyes; dorsal surface with transverse lines of sculpture, forming some elongated reticles medially; area posterior to eyes with minute tubercles on sculpture lines; postocular setae as long as the diameter of an ocellus, with acute to weakly capitate apexes; maxillary stylets parallel and about 1/3 of head width apart; mouth cone rounded. Antenna with 8 antennomeres, III–IV with 3 elongated sense cones each. Pronotum weakly sculptured thoroughly, lines more defined near margins; notopleural sutures incomplete and short; 5 pairs of major pronotal setae with capitate apexes, one pair on epimeral region. Mesonotum sculpture formed by equiangular reticles medially, elongated reticles laterally and anteriorly; without internal markings. Metanotum with 6–11 anterior discal setae and one median major pair; sculpture formed by equiangular reticles, slightly elongated laterally, without internal markings. Fore tarsal hamus small. Fore wings with about 5–8 duplicated cilia. Pelta triangular to arcuate, anterior margin straight to rounded, one pair of campaniform sensilla present; sculpture formed by equiangular to elongated reticles, weaker or absent posteriorly, internal markings present in few specimens. Abdominal tergites with sculpture lines visible only on lateral thirds, II–VII with three pairs of wing-retaining setae. Both sexes macropterous.

Females have the spermatheca swollen medially. Males are slightly smaller, with reticulated pore plates on sternites VI–VIII: two bands at anterior angles and two lateral bands on sternites VI–VII; and two bands at anterior angles plus one single transverse band posterior to discal setae on VIII.

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 bicolor and H. fulvus are the only two Holopothrips species recorded in Brazil whose body is mostly yellow, with only the head, some antennomeres and final abdominal segments brown. Holopothrips bicolor is easily distinguished from H. fulvus for having a fully brown head, as well as abdominal segment VIII; and males with pore plates abdominal sternites VI–VIII. A key to the species of Holopothrips is available in Lindner et al. 2018.

World distribution

Brazil.

Distribution in Brazil

http://fauna.jbrj.gov.br/fauna/faunadobrasil/197490 

Life history

Lives in leaves of Myrcia palustris (Myrtaceae); specimens that probably belong to this species have also been recorded in Myrcia guianensis (Myrtaceae) leaves.

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.