Holopothrips inconspicuus Lindner, Ferrari, Mound & Cavalleri, 2018: 44.

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_inconspicuus

Diagnosis

Body light brown to almost yellow, with fore tibiae and fore tarsi lighter; antennomeres I–II light brown, III–V yellow with apical half weakly shaded, VI light brown with extreme base yellow, VII–VIII light brown; fore wings weakly shaded; major body setae yellow. Head length and width behind eyes subequal, dorsal surface with weak sculpture lines posteriorly, smooth medially; postocular setae slightly shorter than the width of a compound eye, with capitate apexes; maxillary stylets V-shaped and more than half of head width apart; mouth cone rounded. Antenna 8-segmented, III–IV with three sense cones each. Pronotum weakly striate on posterior margin, smooth elsewhere, notopleural sutures incomplete and short; 5 pairs of major pronotal setae, one pair on epimeral region; anteromarginal setae reduced with acute apexes, the other major setae well-developed with capitate apexes. Mesonotum without clear sculpture medially, with weakly defined lines marginally, without internal markings. Metanotum with 1–4 anterior discal setae and one major median pair; sculpture weak to absent medially, longitudinal lines laterally, without internal markings. Fore tarsal hamus small. Fore wings with about 4–6 duplicated cilia. Pelta arcuated to bell-shaped, with lateral projections basally; one pair of campaniform sensilla present, sometimes a small seta may be present in place of a sensilla; sculpture formed by irregular to elongate reticles anteriorly, weak to absent medially and posteriorly, without internal markings. Abdominal tergites weakly sculptured anteriorly and laterally, smooth medially and posteriorly; II–VI usually with two pairs of wing-retaining setae, tergite VII with three pairs. Both sexes macropterous.

Females have a swollen spermatheca. Males are slightly smaller and do not bear pore plates on abdominal sternites.

Intraspecific variation

The presence of a third pair of wing-retaining setae is variable on abdominal tergites V–VI.

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 inconspicuus is the only known species in the genus with the sculpture on head, mesonotum and metanotum weakened to absent medially. It is similar to H. jaboticabae in the head and pelta shape, but the latter has metanotal sculpture well defined.

World distribution

Brazil.

Distribution in Brazil

http://fauna.jbrj.gov.br/fauna/faunadobrasil/197495 

Life history

This species induces rolled leaf galls in Myrcia multiflora (Myrtaceae). Specimens were also collected from Inga sp. (Fabaceae), but galls were not observed.

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.