Thrips palmi Karny

Masumoto, Masami & Okajima, Shûji, 2013, Review of the genus <i> Thrips </ i> and related genera (Thysanoptera, Thripidae) from Japan, Zootaxa 3678 (1), pp. 1-65 : 44

Thrips palmi Karny

( Figs. 179–184 )

This is highly polyphagous and well known as one of the most important crop pest species. Three Thrips species , palmi , setosus and tabaci , are vectors of tospoviruses but they do not transmit Impatiens necrotic spot virus in Japan ( Sakurai et al., 2004). This species is originally from South East Asia but has become widespread in many parts of the world during the past 30 years. It was found in Japan for the first time in 1978, in Miyazaki Prefecture, Kyushu and now it is distributed from southern Honshu to Ryukyus in Japan. This species is very similar to T. alni discussed above. Moreover, T. alatus Bhatti , which is a counterpart of this species in Hymalaya and recently was recorded from Peninsular Malaysia ( Mound & Azidha, 2009) and China ( Hongrui et al., 2011), is also weakly distinguished from T. palmi in female. T. alatus has metascutum with sculpture not converging posteriorly, tergites III and IV with S2 setae weaker than sublateral setae and not shaded, and abdominal tergite VIII of male with only some irregular or no microtrichia on posterior margin. In contrast, T. palmi , has metascutal sculpture lines converging posteriorly ( Fig. 181 ) and S2 setae on tergites III and IV reaching (often exceeding) posterior margin of each tergite, and dark and abdominal tergite VIII of male with developed posteromarginal comb ( Fig. 183 ).

Figures

FIGURES 179–193. Thrips species. T. palmi, female 179–183; (179) Head & pronotum; (180) Antenna, right; (181) Metascutum; (182) Tergites VIII–X. T. palmi, male 183–184: (183) Tergites VIII–IX; (184) Sternite VI, sculpture omitted. T. pini, female 185–193: (185) Head & pronotum; (186) Anteromedian area of head; (187) Antenna, right; (188) Metascutum; (189) Tergite VI & pleurotergite, right side; (190) Tergites VIII–X; (191) Sternite VI. T. pini, male 192–193: (192) Tergites VIII–IX; (193) Sternite V, sculpture omitted.