Haplothrips leucanthemi (Schrank)

Minaei, Kambiz & Mound, Laurence A., 2008, The Thysanoptera Haplothripini (Insecta: Phlaeothripidae) of Iran, Journal of Natural History 42 (41 - 42), pp. 2617-2658 : 2645-2646

Haplothrips leucanthemi (Schrank)

Thrips leucanthemi Schrank, 1781, p. 298 .

Phloeothrips nigra Osborn, 1883, p. 154 .

Haplothrips scythicus Knechtel, 1961, p. 1325 . syn. n.

The species that was described from the red flowers of cultivated Trifolium in North America, H. niger , has been considered to be a unisexual parthenogenetic form of the bisexual H. leucanthemi that is common in the flowers of Chrysanthemum leucanthemum in northern Europe ( Mound and Walker 1986; Mound and Marullo 1996). This conclusion was reached because no males that can be associated confidently with females from Trifolium have been seen from North America, Europe or New Zealand, in all three areas where the name H. niger has been used. In contrast, several authors have distinguished the females on the basis of a difference in tube length, e.g. Moritz (2006) gives the tube length of H. niger as 120–150 mm, and that of H. leucanthemi as 150–190, these figures being derived in part from Schliephake and Klimt (1979). Bimodality in the tube length of females has also been noted in two populations of this thrips from Iran, one from the flowers of Anthemis and the other from the flowers of Plantago . No other differences between these females could be found, but those from Plantago have the tube usually 2–2.4 times as long as the basal width, whereas those from Anthemis have the tube 2.8–3.2 as long as the basal width. Moreover, both sexes were found on Anthemis , but only females on Plantago . One female collected from Plantago in southern Australia also had the tube short as in the specimens from Plantago in Iran, whereas specimens from Chrysanthemum leucanthemum in England have the tube longer. Given the overlap in lengths of this structure, the synonymy of these two forms is here maintained. This species can be recognized by the short and pointed postocular and pronotal setae, the short sub-basal wing setae, and the short and blunt S1 setae on tergite IX.

Knechtel described H. scythicus from various flowering plants, including: Orlaya grandiflora , Salvia villicaulis , Achillea setacea , Anthemis tinctorial , Taraxacum officinale , and Campanula bononesis . However, the description included no comparisons with either H. leucanthemi or H. niger , in which the postocular and epimeral setae are also exceptionally small. The first report of H. scythicus from Iran (zur Strassen 2003) recorded 21 males and 45 females from white flowers of an Achillea sp. , Ardabil Province (north-west Iran). zur Strassen (2006 personal communication from Richard zur Strassen) distinguishes H. niger from H. scythicus on the basis that the maxillary bridge of female H. niger is as wide as the distance between the inner margin of the compound eyes, whereas in H. scythicus the maxillary bridge is narrower than this distance; antennal segment IV is longer in H. scythicus ; epimeral setae of H. niger are 27–34 mm but only 7–17 mm in H. scythicus . These differences are here considered as intraspecific variation.

Haplothrips leucanthemi (under the name H. niger ) has been reported from Fars and Khorasan Provinces ( Minaei and Alichi 2001; Alavi and Kamali 2003), and although reported from Iran by Mortazawiha (1995) no locality was given.

Diagnosis

Body colour brown to dark brown, fore tarsi and base of antennal segment III yellow; forewing with base extensively brown. Head slightly longer than wide, maxillary stylets 0.3–0.4 of head width apart, retracted to postocular setae; postocular setae acute, usually not reaching posterior margin of compound eyes; antennal segment III with two sensoria (cf. Figure 27 ). Pronotal setae small and acute, anteromarginals and midlaterals no longer than discals. Metanotum weakly reticulate medially; mesopresternum eroded medially into two lateral triangles (cf. Figure 13 ). Fore tarsal tooth minute in female or apparently absent (cf. Figures 4–5, 7 ), variable from small to large in males (cf. Figure 9 ). Forewing with 5–9 duplicated cilia (cf. Figure 18 ), sub-basal setae short, S1 and S2 finely pointed or blunt, S3 usually finely pointed. Pelta usually triangular (cf. Figure 16 ), sometimes with wings at base (bell shaped). Tergite VII with two campaniform sensilla not close to each other, usually two micro-setae present on both VII and VIII (cf. Figure 34 ); setae S1 on most tergites blunt in both sexes; tergite IX setae S1 blunt about as long as tube basal width or a little longer ( Figure 30 ), S2 and S3 acute.

Material examined

Iran: Fars Province: Noorabad , 3 ♀ from Plantago sp. , 19.iv.2005 . Mazandaran Province: Ploor , 1 ♀, from Anthemis sp. , 6.viii.2004 ; Tirtash , 1 ♀ from Trifolium sp. , 26.iv.2005 ; Sorkh-Abad , 6 ♀ from Plantago sp. , 4.vi.2005 ; Hezar-Cham , 12 ♀, 9 „ from Anthemis sp. , 13.v.2005. England: Surrey, Ham , 1 ♀, 2 „ from Chrysanthemum leucanthemum , 1.vi.1966 . Australia: New South Wales, Wagga Wagga , 2 ♀ from Plantago .

Haplothrips longipes Bagnall

Haplothrips longipes Bagnall, 1926, p. 654 .

Described on one specimen of each sex from Spain, these specimens are very similar to H. flavitibia in chaetotaxy and the yellow colour of the mid and hind tibiae. The species was distinguished by Priesner (1964, p. 162) with the statement that antennal segment IV is 60 mm long in contrast to no more than 55 mm long in H. flavitibia . The record of this species from Iran by Bagheri and Alavi (2007) requires further confirmation, because the two Iranian specimens involved would probably fall within the present author’s concept of H. globiceps .

Figures

Figures 22–31. (22) Dolicholepta micrura female antenna; (23) Haplothrips distinguendus female antenna; (24) H. kermanensis female antenna; (25) H. maroccanus female antenna; (26) H. reuteri female antenna; (27) H. kermanensis female antennal segment III; (28) H. globiceps female antennal segment III; (29) H.?minutus female antennal segment III–IV; (30) H. leucanthemi female tergite IX and tube; (31) H. aculeatus female tergite IX and tube.

Figures 10–21. (10) Haplothrips globiceps female hind leg; (11) H. aculeatus female prosternum and mesopresternum; (12) H. subtilissimus female prosternum and mesopresternum; (13) H. tritici female prosternum and mesopresternum; (14) Neoheegeria dalmatica female prosternum and mesopresternum; (15) H. aculeatus female pelta; (16) H. tritici female pelta; (17) H. kermanensis female metanotum; (18–19) H. reuteri – 18: female forewing; 19: cilia at forewing apex; (20) Neoheegeria dalmatica female sub-basal wing setae; (21) H. globiceps female sub-basal wing setae.

Figures 1–9. (1) Dolicholepta micrura female head and prosternum; (2–3) Haplothrips kermanensis head and pronotum – 2: female; 3: male; (4) H. globiceps female head and pronotum; (5) H. ganglbaueri female fore leg; (6) H. maroccanus male fore leg; (7) H. subtilissimus female head and pronotum; (8–9) H. tritici fore leg – 8: female from Noorabad on barley; 9: male from Karaj on wheat.

Figures 32–34. (32) Haplothrips aculeatus female tergites VII–VIII; (33) H. globiceps female tergites VII–VIII; (34) H. tritici female tergites VII–VIII.