occidentalis (Pergande, 1895)

(Figs 13, 14, 36, 72, 81, 85, 101, 137, 163)

Described originally from western USA in the genus Euthrips, this species is a major economic pest and tospovirus vector that is now found worldwide (Kirk & Terry 2003). It varies in colour from almost uniformly brown to yellow, possibly dependent to some extent on the temperature at which it pupates. However, the most common form on crops is largely yellow with distinctive light brown markings medially on each abdominal tergite. Large numbers of the dark form were studied from southern highlands in Rio Grande do Sul. This pest, the Western Flower Thrips, has been demonstrated recently to comprise at least two structurally identical sibling species (Rugman-Jones et al., 2010).