Aulacothrips dictyotus Hood, 1952: 142.

Original reference: Hood JD (1952) Brasilian Thysanoptera III. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 65: 141–174.

Family

Heterothripidae

Nomenclatural information

http://thrips.info/wiki/Aulacothrips_dictyotus

Diagnosis

Body dark brown; tarsi and fore tibiae light brown; antennal segments III–IX light brown; abdominal segments I & II slightly paler than the others; fore wings blackish brown, with a dark median line. Head with one pair of long and expanded postocular setae; three pairs of ocellar setae present, pair II long and expanded. Antennae 9-segmented; III cylindrical dorsally; III & IV greatly enlarged, the linear sensorium on both segments extended onto both surfaces and almost meeting medially. Pronotum reticulate; five pairs of long and capitate setae arising marginally and two pairs arising medially; mesonotum reticulate; metascutum triangular and polygonally reticulate. Fore wing unusually slender, except basally; rows of setae absent. Abdominal tergites with strong polygonal reticulation and with a well developed craspedum bearing stout teeth; tergites II–VIII with a median furrow bearing two pairs of stout setae at lateral margins; II­–VIII posterior margin with a fringe of small microtrichia medially and three pairs of long discal setae; IX with numerous long and pointed discal setae. Sternites II–VIII with two to four pairs of stout and flattened setae placed laterally; IX without a row of such stout setae, in few cases bearing only one or two conspicuous setae.

Male smaller and slightly paler; posterior margin of abdominal tergite VIII with a group of 8–12 pairs of long and stout setae placed close together; tergite IX posterior margin extending medially toward X; sternite VII with a very small circular pore plate on anterior margin; posterior margin of sternite VI prolonged, and bearing several acute setae, covering the sternal pore plate.

Intraspecific variation

Not recorded.

Genus and similar species information

The South Americangenus Aulacothrips Hood comprises five described species and its morphology contrasts with the remaining Heterothripidae. The abdominal tergites have a median furrow bearing large wing-retaining setae, and antennal segments III & IV are enlarged, each with a highly convoluted sensorium. Similar convoluted sensoria are also found in Lenkothrips species. A. dictyotus has antennal segment III cylindrical dorsally, and very long sensorial areas on antennal segments III & IV. The posterior margin of abdominal tergite VIII of males also bears a group of 8–12 pairs of long and stout setae placed close together, which is not observed in the other members of this genus. A key to species is provided by Cavalleri et al. (2014).

World distribution

Known only from Brazil.

Distribution in Brazil

http://fauna.jbrj.gov.br/fauna/faunadobrasil/54157

Life history

Larvae and adults are ectoparasitic on Aetalion reticulatum (Hemiptera: Aetalionidae) nymphs and adults. Eggs are laid in several plant species, particularly on Alchornea triplinervia (Euphorbiaceae) in Brazilian Savannah.

Economic importance

Not recorded.

References suggested

Cavalleri A, Kaminski LA & Mendonça Jr. MS (2010) Ectoparasitism in Aulacothrips (Thysanoptera: Heterothripidae) revisited: host diversity on honeydew-producing Hemiptera and description of a new species. Zoologischer Anzeiger 249: 209–221.

Cavalleri A, Kaminski LA & Mendonca MS (2012) A new ectoparasitic Aulacothrips from Amazon rainforest and the significance of variation in antennal sensoria (Thysanoptera: Heterothripidae). Zootaxa 3438: 62–68.

Cavalleri A & Kaminski LA (2014) Two new ectoparasitic species of Aulacothrips Hood, 1952 (Thysanoptera: Heterothripidae) associated with ant-tended treehoppers (Hemiptera). Systematic Parasitology 89(3): 271–278.

Izzo TJ, Pinent SMJ & Mound LA (2002) Aulacothrips dictyotus (Heterothripidae), the first ectoparasitic thrips (Thysanoptera). Florida Entomologist 85: 281–283.